Mamata paints 'SIR' and 'Vanish' at dharna stage, turns to art to protest voter roll revision
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday turned to 'art' as a symbolic form of protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, painting the words "SIR" and "Vanish" on the fifth day of her sit-in demonstration, alleging deletion of genuine voters.
At the dharna stage at Metro Channel in central Kolkata, Banerjee was seen drawing with pastel colours on a canvas with a green background placed on a stand. On top of the canvas, she wrote "SIR", while she inscribed the word "Vanish" in white in the middle.
The canvas had several small irregular circles and a larger outline resembling some kind of a map, gradually whitewashing portions of the green canvas, apparently symbolising voters being erased from the electoral rolls.
The chief minister was engaged in the drawing while Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was addressing a press conference in the city.
Banerjee has been staging the sit-in since March 6 to protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) carried out by the Election Commission of India, alleging that the exercise has led to large-scale deletion of genuine voters in the state ahead of the Assembly polls likely to be held in April.
The ruling All India Trinamool Congress said that the chief minister used 'art' at the protest site to express resistance against what it described as "anti-Bengal forces" and to highlight opposition to the “flawed” revision exercise.
Several supporters also used art in front of the dharna stage to express their protest.
In the past, Banerjee has also referred to the CEC as "Vanish Kumar" while criticising the poll panel's actions. However, she did not make any direct comment about the poll body chief during Tuesday's protest.
Over the past few days, the Trinamool Congress supremo has repeatedly accused the Election Commission of India of "dancing to the tunes of the BJP" and attempting to disenfranchise legitimate voters in the state, an allegation rejected by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.
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27 pc reservation for OBCs in central govt direct recruitment: Govt in LS
New Delhi (PTI): The government provides 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in direct recruitment to civil posts and services under the Centre, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
The implementation of the reservation policy is being done by the Department of Personnel and Training, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment B L Verma said in response to a question.
"Government has a reservation policy through OM (office memorandum) dated 8.9.1993 of the Department of Personnel and Training and other instructions issued from time to time, under which 27 per cent of vacancies in direct recruitment to civil posts and services under the government are reserved for OBCs (Socially and Educationally Backward Classes)," the minister said in a written reply.
He said the ministry is taking measures for the welfare of OBCs under the umbrella scheme of the PM Young Achievers’ Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India (PM-YASASVI), which includes pre-matric and post-matric scholarships, top-class education in schools and colleges and construction of hostels for OBC boys and girls.
Besides, there is the "Scholarships for Higher Education for Young Achievers Scheme (SHREYAS-OBC)" that includes the National Fellowship for OBCs and the Dr Ambedkar Central Sector Scheme of Interest Subsidy on Educational Loans for overseas studies for OBCs and economically backward classes (EBCs), Verma said.
He added that schemes for the welfare of OBCs are reviewed from time to time in consultation with all stakeholders and concerned ministries and departments.
