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Quota Bill tabled; Congress picks holes in it

JAIPUR: The draft reservation Bill tabled by the Rajasthan Government in the Assembly on the opening day of the special session on Monday has drawn flak from the Opposition Congress on account of the alleged presence of the creamy layer provision in it for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

While the Government is yet to clarify on the Bill, which was introduced in the House amid turmoil, the Congress MLAs, talking to journalists outside the House, said they would oppose the provision “tooth and nail”.

The Bill, with a long-winded title -- the Rajasthan Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, Special Backward Classes and Economically Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions in the State and of Appointments and Posts in Service under the State) Bill, 2008 -- was introduced by Law Minister Ghanshyam Tiwari. The document has kept provisions for reservation of seats in educational institutions and of appointment and posts in the services under the State.

Talking about the objectives of the Bill, the draft says: “The State Govt. is of the opinion that the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, the Backward Classes, the Special Backward Classes, who constitute the majority of the total population of the State, are not adequately represented in the services under the State in proportion to their population…”

While new categories are being brought in to the realm of reservation through the Bill, the existing quota for Scheduled Castes (16 per cent), Scheduled Tribes (12 per cent) and the OBCs (21 per cent) remains. The new categories -- Gujjars, Banjaras, Gadia Lohars and Raiksas -- are to get five per cent reservation while the new category of EBC is tipped for 14 per cent.

The objections notwithstanding, the Congress Legislature Party decided to support the Bill in the House.

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