Quota promise not 'lolly pop' to get votes in UP: Khurshid

Asserting that decision to earmark 4.5 per cent sub-quota for minorities in government jobs was not a "lolly pop" to gain votes in Uttar Pradesh, Minority Affairs Minister Salman Kurshid said the government was committed to all round development of backwards.

"No, it was not a lolly pop to gain votes of minorities in Uttar Pradesh," Kurshid said in Rajya Sabha.

Kurshid, who had kicked up a controversy during campaign for UP polls when he talked about raising this sub-quota for minorities within the OBC quota from 4.5 to 9 per cent and for which he was reprimanded by the Election Commission, said the decision was based on recommendations of various committees.

Ranganath Misra Committee and Rajinder Sachar Committee had identified 8.44 per cent population among minorities as backward. "Half of this would have been 4.2 per cent but we decided to round off the figure and made it 4.5 per cent," he said giving rationale behind fixation of 4.5 per cent sub-quota in government jobs for minorities.

Replying to a half-an-hour discussion on "promotion of entrepreneurship and self employment among minorities", he said the government was committed to all round development of minorities who are lagging behind others.

He said based on the recommendations of Sachar Committee report, 90 minority concentrated districts across the country, out of which 66 is dominated by Muslims, have been identified for there focused development.

Eleven central ministries have been identified and directed to allot 15 per cent of their budget share for development works for minorities dominated areas, he said adding his ministry is keeping a tab on them.