Raipur: The Chhattisgarh government is likely to introduce a bill during the special session of the state Assembly scheduled next month that provides for reservation in jobs and admissions in educational institutions in proportion to the population of different categories in the state, officials said.
The draft of the bill is likely to be placed in the cabinet on Thursday. The bill may provide reservation benefits as announced in 2019 for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities, they added. The Chhattisgarh Quantifiable Data Commission (CGQDC), constituted by the state government for counting of people belonging to the OBC and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in the state, submitted its report on November 21, a government official said wishing anonymity.
The draft of the bill is based on the commission's report. After the cabinet's nod, the bill could be tabled during the two-day special session of the Assembly on December 1 and 2, he added. In August 2019, the state cabinet had approved an ordinance to bring an amendment to provision of the Chhattisgarh Lok Seva (Anusuchit Jatiyon, Anusuchit Jan Jatiyon Aur Anya Pichhade Vargon Ke Liye Arakshan) Adhiniyam, 1994. Under this, the cabinet approved to hike reservation for OBCs to 27 per cent from the existing 14 per cent, while for the SC community to 13 per cent from 12 per cent in the public employment and admissions, he said.
Besides, a provision of 10 per cent reservation for the EWS was also approved, taking the total extent of reservation in the state from 58 per cent to 82 per cent, he said. The 32 per cent reservation for the ST category was kept unchanged. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had then said that reservation benefits will be provided to SCs in the state in proportion to their population. The SCs make up roughly about 12.8 per cent of the state's population.
However, in October 2019, the Chhattisgarh High Court had stayed the Baghel-led Congress government's decision and cited that no quantifiable data of the concerned population was available, the official said. Later, the state government constituted the CGQDC, which submitted its report to the government on Monday. The issue of reservation flared up in the state after the Chhattisgarh High Court in September this year set aside the state government's 2012 order to raise the quota to 58 per cent in government jobs and admissions in educational institutions and held that reservation exceeding the 50 per cent ceiling was unconstitutional.
Following the high court's decision, reservation for tribal communities, which accounts for 32 per cent of the state's population, declined to 20 per cent from 32 per cent, triggering a protest by tribals. CM Baghel said the state government's data collection exercise through the CGQDC is in its final stage and its data will help in the matter of reservation.
Early this month, Chhattisgarh Governor Anusuiya Uikey had written to Baghel, asking him to take immediate steps to restore the 32 per cent reservation benefits for tribals. The governor had also asked in the letter to take immediate action to resolve the issue by bringing a bill in this regard by convening a special session of the state assembly or by bringing an ordinance, assuring to extend full cooperation in the matter. Subsequently, Baghel wrote to Assembly Speaker Charandas Mahant urging to convene a special session of the state on December 1 and 2 on the reservation issue. (PTI)
