RS panel's report on backward classes commission soon: Naidu

A Bill to accord constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes has been referred to the Select Committee of Rajya Sabha, which will submit its report during the next session of Parliament, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu said here on Friday.

"The Bill has been referred by the government to the Select Committee of Rajya Sabha which has 25 members. The committee will submit its report in the first week of the next session," he said.

"To safeguard the interests of the socially and educationally backward classes more effectively, we had proposed constitutional status for the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC)," the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister said.

He was addressing a gathering at a felicitation programme organised by organisations working for the welfare of backward classes.

Hailing the Prime Minister for the Bill, Naidu said, "Our government, under the leadership of Narendra Modi, has decided to address the long-pending demand of the backward classes by according constitutional status to the NCBC."

The Bill was tabled in and approved by the Lok Sabha on April 10, he added.

"There has been some delay in the passage of the Bill in Rajya Sabha as it has been referred to the Select Committee. It was already delayed by 30 years (by the earlier governments). Now, it will be delayed by another three months," said the senior BJP leader.