The panel headed by land Revenue Minister Amar Kumar Bauri, formed by the State Government to suggest amendments to the State’s local residents’ policy to ensure reservation in Grade III and IV Government jobs in non-scheduled areas, finally submitted its report to Chief Minister Raghubar Das proposing 100 per cent reservation for the locals in those areas.
BJP legislators Radha Krishna Kishore, Satyendra Nath Tiwari, Amit Mandal, Raj Sinha and new entrant Ram Kumar Pahan are the other members, besides the then Personnel Department Secretary Nidhi Khare from the Government side.
“The report drafted by the committee proposing 100 per cent reservation for locals in grade III and IV jobs also for 11 districts coming under non-scheduled areas in Jharkhand for the next 10 years was handed over the Chief Minister,” said Kishore. Now, the State Government will take a final decision in this regard, he added.
Kishore said that if Government agrees to the recommendations made in the report, the 11 districts coming under Non-Scheduled areas will also have employment policy in the lines of 13 districts of Scheduled area in Jharkhand, allocating hundred per cent reservation for the local residents in grade III and IV jobs.
The panel, during the meeting held on April 7, had reached to a consensus in this regard and was decided to submit a final report to Chief Minister on April 17.
Kishore said that the11 non-scheduled districts to be benefited by the decision are Palamu, Garhwa, Hazaribagh, Ramgarh, Koderma, Chatra, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Giridih, Deoghar and Godda.
“More or less the other 11 districts too have similar economic conditions as in the Scheduled districts due to which there is rampant poverty and employment; the State Government is committed towards improving the livelihood of the people of those districts,” said Kishore. Niti Ayog, in its report, has also included 8 out of those 11 non-scheduled districts among the most backward districts in the country, he added.
“Initially, the recommendation will be made of the next 10 years,” he added.
“In addition to that, we have also recommended making provisions for giving benefits of reservation in Jharkhand Public Services Examination right from the preliminary examination as was being given till 4th JPSC,” he pointed out and questioned as to why it was not followed in 5th and 6th JPSC examinations.
The Panel has also recommended to increase the age limit for all residents of Jharkhand to 45 from 35 in all competitive examinations, said Kishore.
Remarkably, in Scheduled areas of the State, class III and class IV jobs have been reserved for local residents - living in Jharkhand before 1985 - for 10 years beginning July 14, 2016 when the local residents’ policy came into force. legislators, cutting across party lines, had been demanding that class III and class IV jobs be reserved for local residents in non-scheduled areas comprising districts of Palamu, Garhwa, Hazaribagh, Ramgarh, Koderma, Chatra, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Giridih, Deoghar and Godda too.