Chandigarh

Panel to oversee timely implementation of Jats' demands

PNS

Two days after the Manohar lal Khattar Government in Haryana accepted the demands of agitating Jats, the State Government has constituted a committee under the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Krishan Kumar Bedi to oversee the timely implementation of assurances given by the Government.

Kuldip Tiwari, Additional Advocate General, Haryana and Navdeep Singh Virk, IPS, IGP Rohtak Range are the other members of the committee.

Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said that advocate SS Karb has also been made member of committee as recommended by Jat leadership.

All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) chairperson Yashpal Malik on Tuesday said "dharnas have been called off at many places in the state".

He, however, added that "if the government fails to implement its assurances, the Jats are prepared to re-launch the agitation within 24 hours".

"We will be prepared to hold demonstrations in Delhi in the future if the government fails to honour its promises made to Jats," he said.

The dharnas were called off after 52 days at many places in Haryana.

Malik, the leader of the Jat agitation, after a four-hour meeting with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar in Delhi on March 19, had said the government had agreed to the demands of the community and therefore, the stir will end.

Union ministers Birender Singh and P P Chaudhary, both Jats, were also present during the deliberations.

Khattar, while describing the demands of reservation in education and jobs put forward by the Jats as "genuine", had assured them of "full justice".

He had also said that the Centre would soon initiate the process of providing reservation to Jats, while at the state-level, action will be taken as soon as the decision comes from the High Court, before which the matter is pending.

Regarding the other demands of the community, he had said the state government will "re-assess" the cases registered between 2010 and 2017 against the Jat protesters, the next of kin of those killed or maimed during those protests will be given permanent jobs and the role of officers will be probed, so that strict action could be initiated against the guilty.

Besides reservation, the Jats have been demanding the release of their community members who were jailed during last year’s Jat agitation, withdrawal of cases slapped on the protesters and government jobs for the kin of those killed and injured while taking part in the stir.

In a similar Jat stir last year in February, as many as 31 people were killed and property worth crores of rupees was damaged at many places in Haryana.