Bhopal:Monday, September 8, 2008:Chairman of National Commission for Economically Backward Classes Major General (Retired) S.R. Sinho chaired a meeting at the Mantralaya here today. Member of the commission Shri Narendra Kumar and Chief Secretary Shri Rakesh Sahni were present at the meeting.
Commission’s chairman informed the meeting that the commission has been constituted by government of India with a view to making recommendations for the measures to be taken for the welfare of economically backward people apart from scheduled caste, scheduled tribes and other backward classes.
He informed that he is undertaking tours of various states with a view to identifying schemes to be taken up for the welfare of economically backward sections and seeking suggestions from various state governments. Later, he will forward these suggestions to government of India. He laid emphasis on greater benefits to backward classes and giving top priority to education of their wards.
The commission elicited information about welfare schemes being implemented for backward classes’ welfare in Madhya Pradesh. It also thanked the state government for setting up of a commission for the welfare of economically weaker people of general category. The meeting was informed that total population of Madhya Pradesh is 6.03 crore consisting of 93 lakh schedules castes and 120 lakh scheduled tribes’ persons. Reservation to the tune of 16 and 20 percent of SCs and STs and 14 percent to backward classes is being provided in the state. The commission has given a questionnaire seeking information at various levels.
Those present at the meeting included Principal Secretary Social Justice Smt. Tinu Joshi, Principal Secretaries Smt. I.M. Chahal, Shri Devraj Birdi, Shri Devendra Singhai, Shri M.M. Upadhyaya, Shri M.K. Rai and Secretaries Shri Dharmarao, Shri Anil Shrivastava, Shri Sewaram and secretary of Madhya Pradesh State Commission for Welfare of the Poor of General Category Shri A.N. Tiwari.