Constitution Review -- Panel will not curtail rights, guarantees
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, MARCH 30: Amid rising criticism of the move to review the Constitution by the BJP-led Government, the Constitution Review Commission has once again clarified that its job is not to rewrite the document but to merely examine which areas need improvement.

It emphasised this point on Thursday: ``Our job is to examine in which areas the working of the Constitution has not been satisfactory. If we find it is necessary to recommend that some laws, provisions or policy mechanisms require improvement, suitable suggestions will be made,'' Commission member and spokesman B P Jeevan Reddy told reporters here.

Allaying fears of SCs and STs, he said the Commission ``does not propose to curtail, diminish or cut down in any manner the rights and guarantees provided by the Constitution'' to these groups. On the contrary, he added, the idea was to try to recommend methods for effectuating these rights.

The Commission, which has identified 10 core areas which in its view need examination, has set up separate committees to look into each of them. These panels would prepare background papers and questionnaires to be sent to research institutions, study groups and political parties among others for their views.

Asked to comment on BJP's proposal to bring out a ``white paper'' on the Constitution, Reddy said he had nothing to say about what the ruling party wanted to do. ``The Commission has been appointed by the Government. It is wrong to say that we will be influenced by any political party or group,'' he said.

About some political parties criticising the setting up of the Commission, he said: ``We cannot stop criticism...criticism is not unexpected if you have taken up this kind of work.'' Among the 10 areas that the Commission has identified are electoral reforms, removal of poverty, Centre-State relations, fundamental rights and legal control of fiscal and monetary policies.

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