New Delhi, Nov. 4: Non-government organisations that depend on the Centre for funds could lose their flexibility in recruitment as they have been ?advised? to implement the reservation policy for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes and disabled persons.

The government, however, reassured industry captains that it had no intention of bringing in a law to enforce reservations in the private sector.

The 2,700-odd NGOs funded by Meira Kumar?s social justice and empowerment ministry may lose the generous dose of funds that helps them stay on their feet if they do not fall in line. There are suggestions that if the NGOs ignore the government?s advice, they might find it a little difficult to get funds released in future.

Kumar insisted that her ministry did not wish to pull the rug from under the NGOs? feet and stop flow of funds, but officials indicated that there was no better way to get the message across. The first instalment has been released on the existing staff pattern but NGOs have been told to show some improvement in their employee profile when they seek the second instalment a few months later.

As much as Rs 233 crore has been earmarked for the current fiscal against the Rs 207 crore released last year.

As for the private sector, Kumar told an ?editors? conference? that there never had been a proposal to bring in a law. ?There will be no legislation for reservation of jobs (in the private sector),? she said.

Yesterday, Singh had given the same assurance to a delegation from the Indian Merchants? Chamber but also spoke of the potential to increase jobs as the economy grows.

Kumar stuck to the line of ?affirmative action? on the part of the industry that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had talked about in Mumbai last month. She referred to a national dialogue that the government had initiated with all political parties, industries and other organisations to determine how best the private sector could fulfil the aspirations of the youth from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

?I have no doubt that very soon some concrete action points will emerge,? she said.