OBC creamy layer bar raised to Rs 8 lakh per annum

Arun Jaitley/PTI Photo-File

New Delhi: The Central government on Wednesday raised the 'creamy layer' ceiling for OBC reservation for securing government jobs to Rs 8 lakh from the existing Rs 6 lakh per year, said an official order. "It has now been decided to raise the income limit from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh per annum for determining the creamy layer among the Other Backward Classes," said the order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). "The provisions of this office memorandum have effect from September 1, 2017," it added. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had, after a cabinet meeting on August 23, said that OBC families earning up to Rs 8 lakh per annum will not be considered in the 'creamy layer'. Earlier, this ceiling was Rs 6 lakh per annum. "The cabinet was apprised that the creamy layer criterion limit has been raised to Rs 8 lakh annually for the central government," he said. Jaitley had said the National Commission for Backward Classes had given its recommendation in 2011 that there should be sub-categorisaion and the Parliamentary Standing Committee had also given such a recommendation. The Supreme Court, in its November 1992 order, had observed that there is nc Constitutional or legal bar to a state categorising backward classes as backward or more backward.