Fearing non-implementation of the Sachar Committee report by the Centre as it lacks legal standing, the Left has demanded for constitutional recognition of the findings soon after its ratification by Parliament.

"We want debate on the report in Parliament and its implementation under Article 15 and 16 of the Constitution, which recognises affirmative action for the uplift of socially and educationally backward classes," Communist Party of India national council secretary Shameem Faizee told PTI in Malegaon.

Since the committee was appointed by the Prime Minister's Office, there is no legal binding on the government to implement it, he said adding, that it is not for the first time that a high-power panel was constituted to examine social, economic and educational backwardness of Muslims.

The Gopa Singh Committee Report of 1983 had examined almost all aspects of Muslim backwardness and had arrived at similar findings.

However, the report was never placed before Parliament and it was almost seven years after its submission that it was made public, he said.

"We don't want the same thing happen to Sachar Committee report. Hence, we are demanding for its legal sanctity. Our fears could come true from the fact that the action taken report presented by Minorities Affairs Minister A R Antulay has nothing substantive. It is peanuts," he said.

The Sachar report has found that Muslims are at the bottom of the heap when it comes to benefits from government-run welfare schemes, access to education, employment and even the system of credit, including bank loans.

The Left has put forward about 15 demands to put the community on development track, Faizee said.

On employment, a mechanism must be evolved at recruiting levels to ensure appointment of Muslims in proportion to their number among the eligible candidates. There needs to be a sub-quota in 27 per cent reservation for the Other Backward Classes, he said.

According to the senior leader of CPI, an allied partner in the Congress-led ruling coalition of United Progressive Alliance, all professional committees among the Muslims must get the same facilities and concessions provided to their professional counterparts of the majority community.

The 1950 presidential order, discriminating on the basis of religion in recognising Dalits should be withdrawn, he said adding, Muslims and Christian Dalits must be recognised as Dalit and they must get all benefits of scheduled caste.

There is a circular of RBI saying that Muslim-inhabited areas are debt zones. This should be withdrawn as there is no proper figure to prove it, he said.

According to Sachar Committee report, there are 6,000 villages in the country where Muslims account for more than 40 per cent of the population.

"Twenty per cent of the funds for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan must be marked for minority areas. This will result in at least opening of primary schools," the CPI leader said.

While criticising the biased attitude of bureaucracy against Muslims, Faizee said, "Now the Centre is saying it will sensitise the government agencies. But we are yet to see any action. So now we are building a national consensus among people to put pressure on the UPA government to implement the report in totality."

He said the CPI had formed an organisation called 'Insaf', which is already operational in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal for the purpose.

"Now we will organise a Maharashtra-level convention either at Mumbai or Aurangabad to build more awareness about the Sachar Committee report among people and gather public support to put pressure on the UPA government for its implementation," he added.