NEW DELHI: Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Castes P L Punia today batted for the release of the caste data so that appropriate upward revision could be done in reservation.
"By releasing the caste census the actual population of the all categories could be ascertained. The SC category now receives 15 per cent reservation which is owing to an older data. But there has been an increase in the population since then and that can be known only after the release of the caste data, thus contributing to an increase in the reservation share," said Punia.
Opposition parties including Congress, JDU, RJD and DMK have been raising the demand to release the caste data enumerated under the Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011. Terming the centre of being non-serious about the interests of the Dalit community, he demanded that the Centre should bring a Bill to enable reservations in promotion.
"The government is not serious about the interests of the Dalit community and this has been understood from its behaviour in the last 14 months. The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was passed after so many months. So the Centre should concentrate on the demand for reservation in promotion," Punia said.
A Constitution Amendment bill providing quota for SCs and STs in government job promotions was passed by Rajya Sabha in December 2012. But it was not passed in the Lok Sabha due to protests from some parties like Shiv Sena and the Samajwadi Party. He demanded that the Bill should be brought again.
Punia also expressed concern over the "increase" in incidents of atrocities against the Dalits and bats for a strong law to curb such incidents.
"There has been an increase in incidents against the Dalits and Centre is also responsible for this. The reason for this is the feudalistic approach which has to be changed," he said.