Ind tells PMO voluntary action better than law on job quota

NEW DELHI: Industry leaders on Saturday informed the government they were dead against a legislation on reservation in the private sector but were ready to enhance their commitment to provide jobs and education to the SCs/STs.

In their meeting with Principal Secretary to Prime Minister TKA Nair, Presidents and past Presidents of three apex chambers said voluntary action would yield better results than an Act of Parliament.

"The discussion revolved around affirmative action and the government did not press for reservation either," President of the Confederation of Indian Industry Sunil Bharati Mittal said. Industry has maintained this stand all along.

Assocham President VN Dhoot said the industry has already begun work on improving the employability of the SCs/STs. "We have created a corpus of Rs five crore for skill upgradation of SCs/STs," he said.

The chamber heads asked the government to provide fiscal incentives to the industry in 40-45 districts dominated by the SCs/STs.

FICCI's former President KK Modi said his chamber has resolved differences with CII and Assocham on the issue of providing SC/ST employment data in the company annual reports.

"We have convinced FICCI to work together," Dhoot said.

The meeting was convened by Nair, who is also the Chairman of the Coordination Committee on Affirmative Action (AA) including reservation, which monitors specific results achieved by the private sector. The committee would meet again after two months to review work on fresh promises.