The Haryana Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a Bill to provide reservation to Jats and five other communities in Government jobs and educational institutions, ahead of the April 3 deadline set by the Jat community which had launched a violent agitation last month in the State.
While the ruling BJP and Indian National lok Dal (INlD) legislators were present in the Assembly when the Bill was passed, the Congress legislators did not attend the session as they were demanding revoking the suspension of their three MlAs.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar introduced two Bills Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admission in Educational Institutions) Bill, 2016 and Haryana Backward Classes Commission Bill, 2016 in the ongoing Budget Session which were passed unanimously by the House.
The first Bill provides to give reservation to Jats and five other castes Jat Sikhs, Rors, Bishnois, Tyagis and Mulla Jat/Muslim Jat by constituting a new classification block C in the backward classes category. The second Bill provides for institution of a permanent Backward Classes Commission.
The Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admission in Educational Institutions) Bill, 2016 proposed to give 10 percent reservation to Jats and five other castes in Government and Government-aided educational institutions and Class III and IV Government jobs. It also proposed to give 6 per cent reservation to Jats and five other castes in BC C category in class I and II jobs.
In case of BC A and BC B category, the Bill provides for raising the reservation from 10 to 11 and 5 to 6 per cent respectively for Class I and II jobs. For economically backward persons (EBP), the reservation percentage was proposed to be hiked from 5 to 7 per cent for Class I and II jobs.
The Bill states that notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the State Government may provide horizontal reservation for such category or categories of persons within Backward Classes as it may deem necessary from time to time.
Jat leaders have been demanding reservation in the existing Backward Classes (BC) category. The BC quota is bifurcated into two BC A and BC B having 16 and 11 per cent, respectively. Under BC A and BC B categories, 71 and 6 castes are currently availing reservation benefits, respectively. Chief Minister Manohar lal while talking to the mediapersons later said the State Government has fulfilled its promise of giving reservation to Jats and members of other castes by getting “The Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admission in Educational Institutions) Bill, 2016” passed in the ongoing session of State Assembly.
It would enable the members belonging to six communities to get reservation in government services and admission to educational institutions, said he.
He added that the provisions of reservation would be implemented immediately after the Governor’s assent. Meanwhile, BJP MP from Kurukshetra, Rajkumar Saini, who has been opposing reservation for Jats has said the passage of Bill was a "murder of democracy" and he would approach the Supreme Court against the reservation Bill.
Saini also blamed the Chief Minister for being unable to stand up to BJP Jat leadership’s pressure. Congress leader and former minister Ajay Singh Yadav has described the passage of the Bill as a “black day” for Haryana and said he would approach the Court against the Bill. Jat leader Hawa Singh Sangwan has welcomed the Bill while another Jat leader Yash Pal Malik welcoming the bill said amendments can be made in the Bill as it is not as per our expectations.