The Hindu Business Line : AP favours broadening scope of employment Bill

THE Andhra Pradesh Government, while complimenting the UPA Government at the Centre for introduction of the National Rural Employment Bill in the Lok Sabha, wants it to cover eight more districts in the State.

A statement from the Chief Minister's Office said that the Government wanted Nizamabad, Medak, Karimnagar, Chittoor, Kurnool, Nellore, and Prakasam districts be part of the proposed scheme of employment.

The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, described it as a big step to banish poverty, adding that it would ensure social justice and improve economic conditions in rural areas, which alone could help ensure prosperity.

The Bill assures 100 days of wage employment to rural households in 200 identified districts across the country.

As of now, 150 districts across the country are covered under the employment programme and the Centre proposes to increase it to 200 immediately and extend it to 600 districts over five years.

Already, the State has taken up a wage employment scheme, referred to as food for work; it is being implemented in eight districts. Given the successful implementation of the programme, the Centre sanctioned fresh assistance of Rs 124 crore for the current fiscal.

This apart, the Government is implementing various schemes such as Indira Kranthi Patham, wherein 56,000 women's self-help groups have been provided bank linkage for Rs 250 crore in the first three months during the current fiscal. And under Rajiv Yuva Shakti, Rs 600 crore has been earmarked during 2005-06.

Meanwhile, Dr Reddy has written to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, drawing his attention to the Supreme Court judgement in the matter relating to matters connected with admission into professional colleges and courses in the country.

Dr Reddy said: "We need to ensure that poor students from among SC, ST and BCs and physically challenged would nor be deprived of admission into unaided self-financing colleges, as this recent development would lead to total commercialisation of education."

The State has about 252 engineering colleges with intake of 85,000, of which only eight are Government engineering colleges with a capacity of 1,935 students.

Thus, the benefit of reservation for weaker sections will be available only to about two per cent of the society. Following this, about 35,000 seats meant for weaker sections would no longer be available.

Therefore, Dr Reddy has called upon for a suitable legislation that ensures that mechanism of reservations for weaker sections would continue.

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