Days after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared her plans to include economically weak section in the job reservation regime, the Bengal Government on Monday issued a circular notifying the order for the economically backward section.
A circular issued by the State Chief Secretary said all those with income below Rs 8,00,000 per annum would be eligible for reservation in Government jobs. “This means that a person with a maximum monthly income of Rs 66,666 will fit into the criterion,” a senior official said.
The Chief Minister in the first week of this month told in a public meeting that “our Government has decided to include the economically backward section in reservation scheme for government jobs. This will help lakhs of people who come from upper castes, have merit but do not have any reservation.”
The BJP however had dismissed Banerjee’s statement as a bid “to wean away voters who have already decided to leave her as was seen in the Lok Sabha elections.” State BJP president said “these are all electoral gimmicks and will not work because the people will not believe her anymore. She has been branded as the Chief Minister of syndicate wallas.”
The declaration comes close on the heels of the State Government announcing its decision to soon start the recruitment process for filling up of 34,000 Government posts. The notification for the same has not been issued as yet.