Revising OBC income criteria; Reply of centre at Lok Sabha is evasive, says OBC group

New Delhi: Centre on Tuesday said that proposal for revision of the income criteria for determining the Creamy layer among OBCs is under consideration of the Government. In the session held at Lok Sabha on 2nd February, MPs from different constituencies raised issues related with income criteria for OBCs to determine creamy layer.

Towards queries on OBC creamy layer by T R Balu from Sriperumbudur constituency of Tamil Nadu, Minister of State (Mos) for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishan Pal Gujjar replied that "proposal for revision of creamy layer limit for OBCs is under consideration of the Government and the same will be done after due consultation with National Commission for the Backward Classes."

The reply is in line with the statement by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot in December of last year. Gehlot had said that the Centre will increase the income ceiling limit for creamy layer of OBCs very soon.

Regarding the reply, AIOBC Federation General Secretary G Karunanidhy told Madhyamam that "As per reply, still the matter is only under consideration. We want the govt to take decision for revision of income ceiling to a minimum of Rs. 15 lakhs and without including salary and agricultural income.The reply is evasive."

In September of last year, the government had informed Parliament that an expert committee headed by BP Sharma to examine the issues related to creamy layer equivalence among the socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs) had submitted its report which was under consideration.

The income ceiling limit for creamy layer among the socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs) is raised every three years. The last increase came in 2017 and the government had announced an increase in the limit in early 2020.

See the reply here

(with inputs from Sofia Babu)