In process of compiling the data related to reservation of backward classes in the State, Haryana Backward Classes Commission on Monday launched its website.
The Haryana Backward Classes Commission is compiling the details of caste and socio-economic condition of people of the State. These details are being gathered in view of Punjab and Haryana High Court directions to the Commission for compiling quantifiable data and determine the extent of reservation to be given to Jats and five other castes in Haryana.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had on September 1 upheld the Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admissions in Educational Institutions) Act passed by the State Assembly and referred the matter to the Commission for compiling the data.
Consequently, the Commission had asked caste data of Government employees in the State. Besides compiling the caste data of Government employees, an exercise would be carried out to gather details of caste and socio-economic conditions of all people of Haryana.
A questionnaire for this purpose prepared by the Commission is also handed over to the State Government.
All the Government employees in Haryana were last month directed to furnish details of their caste and submit a self-attested declaration in this regard to the Head of the Department by October 10.
Chairman of the Commission, (retired) Justice S N Aggarwal, while talking to the mediapersons on Monday said that for gathering caste details, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the Commission to submit its report to State Government by March 31, 2018.
In this regard, any stakeholder or any person interested will be at liberty to place their data or material before the Commission including Welfare of Scheduled Caste and Backward Classes department on or before November 30, 2017. Any person desirous of raising any objection to the data can file the same on or before December 30, said he.
Haryana Vidhan Sabha had passed the Haryana Backward Classes Commission Act, 2016 (Haryana Act No.9 of 2016) under which Haryana Backward Classes Commission was created to examine requests for inclusion or exclusion of any class of citizens as a Backward Class and hear complaints of over-inclusion or under-inclusion of any Backward Class and tender such advice to the State Government.
The High Court had passed the judgment on September 1 in which, the Court had directed the Commission to determine the extent of reservation, if any, to which the castes mentioned in Schedule III of the 2016 Act are entitled to and also the quantum of reservation provided for these six castes, he added.
He further said that the Commission’s website has been launched to gather the data and make the process accessible to the general public.
Notably, the violent Jat quota stir in February 2016 in the stat had killed 31 people, left more than 300 injured and destroyed property worth hundreds of crores of rupees. After this, the Manohar lal Khattar Government buckled under pressure by giving 10 per cent reservation to Jats and five other communities.
However, the HC had in May 2016 stayed the Haryana Government’s decision to grant reservation to Jats and five other communities in jobs and educational institutions under the newly created backward class ‘C’ category.