New Delhi, Jan 25 (TIWN / IANS) The CPI-M on Friday urged the government not to operationalise the 10 per cent quota for the poor in general section, saying the benefits will be cornered by the better off.

A CPI-M statement quoted a Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry as saying that the 10 per cent reservation benefits would apply to families with a gross annual income of Rs 8 lakh or below. 

In addition, families who have following assets will be excluded: those who have 5 acres of agricultural land or more, those who have a residential flat of 1,000 sq feet or more, those who have a residential plot of 100 sq yards or more in a notified municipality and those who have a plot of 200 sq yards or more in areas other than the notified municipalities.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist said this made "a mockery of the very concept of economically weaker sections. 

"The government is not accepting even a minimum wage of Rs 18,000 and here it is including an income of almost Rs 70,000 a month for the benefit of reservations. This criteria will deprive weaker sections of any benefits which will be cornered by the better off. 

"It is also entirely wrong of the government to use the same criteria it has used for OBC creamy layer category. The criteria for those sections include the most important point that these sections are also socially deprived which does not apply to the general category."