Other States - Rajasthan   

Quota Bill passed in Rajasthan Assembly

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Assembly on Wednesday passed the reservation Bill, ensuring a special quota of five per cent to the Gujjars and three other communities and another 14 per cent to the EBCs (Economically Backward Classes), after a six-hour long debate. The legislation — 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 Services Under the State,) Bill, 2008, was passed with a voice vote with the Congress not opposing it.

The Bill, which has taken the total reservation in the State to 68 per cent, has kept the existing quota for the SCs (16 per cent), STs (12 per cent) and Backward Classes (21 per cent) intact.

Law Minister Ghanshyam Tiwari who replied to the debate on the Bill said the legislation was a bold political decision by the Chief Minister, mandated by the need of the hour even when there had been apprehension over its tenability. The courts in the past too had accepted such steps by the Governments after taking into account the ground realities, he noted.

Earlier speakers from the Congress Opposition, even while not opposing the Bill, said the legislation was brought in hurriedly and without taking into account the existing status of all the communities. C.P. Joshi of the Congress said, the way the Bill was introduced only exposed the State Government’s desperation and haste. He felt the authorities should have set up a committee to decide on the eligibility of various communities before deciding on the new categorisation.

The Opposition members also pointed out the historic directive of the Supreme Court on quota in the Indira Sahney case, which put a cap of 50 per cent in overall reservations. The other speakers Sanyam Lodha, Prahlad Gunjal, Mohammed Mahir Azad, B.D. Kalla, and Raghveer Meena of the Congress demanded a more comprehensive and “foolproof” legislation on reservations. They asked the Government to seek public opinion before taking such a step. Mangilal Garasia, Shanker Singh Rajpurohit and Yogeshwar Garg were among those who spoke on the Bill.

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