The Chief Minister urged all parties to make efforts to include the new provisions of reservation in Chhattisgarh in the 9th Schedule
Raipur, 02 December 2022 / Responding to the discussion on the Amendment Bill 2022 of Chhattisgarh Public Service (Reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes) in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly today, Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel said that today is a very special and important day as significant decisions have been taken today for the state. It is worth mentioning that today’s assembly session was also called as a special session. In the Reservation Amendment Bill, 32 percent reservation has been given to Scheduled Tribes, 13 percent to Scheduled Castes and 27 percent to Other Backward Classes. Similarly, economically weaker sections of the state will get the benefit of a 4 percent reservation. Two Bills of Chhattisgarh Public Service (Reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes) (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and Chhattisgarh Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) (Amendment) Bill, 2022 were passed unanimously in the House today.
Mr. Bhupesh Baghel said that Madhya Pradesh Public Service (Reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes)1994, was adopted in the state of Chhattisgarh and after a long time of this adaptation, it was only in 2011-12 that the then contemporaneous state government awakened. Today the people of that government are in opposition and they are questioning us, but for a long period from 2004 to 2012, when SC, ST and OBC people were suffering, then why did they not pay heed to this issue ?Today, when our government has brought provisions for these classes through the amendment bill, then they are neither discussing the need for reservation nor they are discussing the circumstances of Chhattisgarh.
Mr. Baghel said that during the tenure of the then government, the report of the Sergius Minj Committee was not presented by the then government at all. Sargius Minj Committee had said in its report that reservation in other states is more than 50 percent and it can be increased in Chhattisgarh, this report was also not submitted to the High Court. The Indira Sahni episode was also referred, in that episode,the Supreme Court had said that the state governments shall decide to make more than 50 percent reservations according to the circumstances of their states.
The Chief Minister said that Quantifiable Commission data come out with a figure of 3.48 per cent for the EWS population out of the total state’s population, while we have made a 4 per cent reservation provision for them. Similarly, the population of OBCs is 42.41 per cent of the state’s population while we have made a provision of 27 per cent reservation for them.
Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel said that in the year 2011 census, the population of Scheduled Castes was slightly more than 12 per cent. We have made a provision for a 13 per cent reservation for them. If the population of SC comes out to be 16 per cent in the upcoming census, then we will give 16 per cent reservation, as the people are demanding. He said that according to the Constitution of India, there is a provision to give reservations to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes according to their share of the population. Mr. Baghel said that in the case of reservation, the roster will definitely be implemented in the district and divisional cadre as well. For the places where the population of the general category is more, EWS will get the benefit of a maximum of 10 per cent reservation in proportion to the population in the division/district cadre.
The Chief Minister said that the Governor is also much concerned about the reservation bill just like us. She has also said that she will immediately sign the bill as soon as she receives the bill. The Chief Minister said that as soon as the bill is passed today, he along with the ministers will visit the Raj Bhavan and will request the Governor to sign it today. The Chief Minister urged all parties despite different political views to meet the Prime Minister and the President to include the new provisions of reservation of Chhattisgarh in the 9th schedule, keeping in view the socio-economic conditions of Chhattisgarh.
