Friday, August 12 2005 14:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: The Dravida Munnetra Khazhagam (DMK), a key constituent of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the Center, today (Aug 12, 2005) demanded reservation of jobs for backward classes, most backward classes and Dalits in the private sector and public sector undertakings.

In a letter to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, DMK President M Karunanidhi said the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other Backward Classes (Reservation in Posts and Services) Bill to be introduced in the Parliament, should have provisions for this also.

He said the bill should also remove the creamy layer criterion from the purview of reservation, extend the benefit of reservation to the OBCs in educational institutions, controlled or financed or aided by the Center and constitute a separate Parliamentary committee for OBCs.

The bill should empower the states to decide the percentage of reservation to the SCs/STs and BCs and Mbcs, based on the population of these communities, he said.

Karunanidhi said he had gone through the report of the Parliamentary standing committee on the Reservation Bill, which was given to him by the Committee Chairman E M Sudarsana Nachiappan.

"I am in agreement with the report and request you that this report may be adopted without any dilution," he said.