Hyderabad: OBCs slam 'creamy layer' norms

Hyderabad: Several OBC candidates who were selected for the UPSC this year were denied quota because their parents’ income exceeded Rs 6lakh per annum and because they were the ‘creamy layer’.

OBC leaders and BC organisations found fault with the UPSC and the Centre’s Department of Personnel and Training for considering the salary of parents to determine creamy layer while the norms state salaries and income from agriculture should be excluded.

City-based OBC candidate S.Chitharanjan,  who got 574 rank and was eligible for the IAS in the reserved category was allotted Indian Railways Account Service in the general category. About 120 OBC candidates across the country were denied quota benefit on these grounds in 2016.

The affected candidates have approached the National Commission for Backward Classes, which passed a resolution on June 28 to give quota benefit to these candidates.

Convener of Parliamentary Forum of OBC MPs, V. Hanuman-tha Rao took up the issue with PM Narendra Modi and TS Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and urged them to intervene to do justice. Meanwhile Mr Chitharanjan told DC: “I’m from the Vishwabrahmin (goldsmith) community, a notified OBC. I had the non-creamy layer OBC certificate and appeared for the Civils. I got an all-India rank of 574. But during allocation, my OBC non-creamy layer claim was been ignored by DoPT and I was allotted the IRAS. The DoPT has not communicated any reason. I sent all valid documents but in vain. When I approached them personally, I was told that I was denied OBC quota on the basis of my father's income. My father was appointed as the District Munsif in 1998 and promoted as Senior Civil Judge. There is no class/ group/ grade for the  above post in our state while in some states like UP, it was given Group-B status.”

Mr Hanumantha Rao said, “When the UPSC allowed them to appear for Civils as OBC non-creamy layer candidates , where was the need for the DoPT to issue new income norms and deny postings? The same DoPT earlier issued guidelines stating salaries and agricultural income will not be considered.”

BC leader R. Krishnaiah said, “BCs are 54 per cent of India’s population but their representation in central jobs is less than nine per cent. Why is the creamy layer applied only for OBCs, and not for SCs or STs?”