We do not want controversy on reservation: CM

Raipur, December 22, 2011

Chief Minister Raman Singh has categorically said that his government did not want any controversy on reservation and hence had adopted Centre format to make the proposal on quota system. The CM’s words came while he was speaking on Chhattisgarh Public Service (Reservation on SC, ST and OBCs) (Amendment) Bill which he tabled in the House on Thursday. The bill was passed after 20 members of the House expressed their views on it in about two and a half hours long debate. The bill will now be sent to the Centre for approval.

The CM said the bill contained 12% reservation for SC, 32% for ST and 14 for OBCs. “Considering 50% ceiling in reservation, we gave priority to SC and ST categories which together get 44% reservation. Then since we were left with only 6%, we decided to followed the quota format of undivided Madhya Pradesh and kept the reservation for OBCs to 14% making the overall reservation up to 58%,” he clarified.

On curtailment of SC reservation from 16% to 12%, the CM said it was also done on the basis of population. “In future, when there would be change in the population, we would surely ensure to hold discussion on reservation amendment in the House,” he said.

He said the government did not have any political ambition on quota system but instead it wanted to give sufficient representation to the SC, ST and OBC communities.

After CM’s speech, when the Congress legislator Dr Haridas Bhardwaj proposed to make further amendment in the bill by increasing the reservation slab of SC and OBC making the overall quota to 75% (SC – 16%, ST – 32% and OBC – 27%), the ruling party, having majority in the House, rejected it.

Earlier, participating in the debate, Congress member Kawasi Lakhma demanded 40% quota for ST terming the tribal population highest in the state. Another Congress member Dharmjeet Singh called the bill a poll plank alleging that the government curtailed the SC quota because it received less number of votes from the community in previous Assembly elections.

The Congress legislator Mohammad Akbar doubted the intentions of the government and said he was not sure whether it really wanted to give fair quota to the SC community or not. The opposition Dr Haridas Bhardwaj said after making provision of quota for SC, ST and OBCs, the government should not neglect the general and minority categories.

The other House members who participated in the debate were – Bodhram Kanwar, Premsai Singh Tekam, Ambika Markam, Padma Ghanshyam Manhar, Agni Chandrakar,  Shivraj Singh Usare, Paresh Baghbahra, Hridayram Rathiya (all from Congress), Virendra Kumar Sahu, Ramji Bharti, Dr Krishnamurthy Bandhi, Subhau Kashyap,Devji Bhai Patel, Phoolchand Singh and Domanlal Korsewad (all from BJP).