A cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has approved the two amended bills on the reservation issue in the state. The amended bills will be introduced in the special assembly session that will be held on 1 and 2 December.
The cabinet meeting was held at the CM’s residence on Thursday. Agriculture Minister Ravindra Chaubey said that the total reservation in the state would rise to 76 percent after the bill gets passed by the assembly. Choubey said that the bills were approved in respect of the Chhattisgarh Public Service (Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes Reservation) Amendment Act and the amendment related to admission in educational institutions. The reservation will be based on the population data (OBC and EWS) provided by the commission.
Notably, the reservation issue flared up in the state after the Chhattisgarh High Court dismissed its 2012 order increasing the reservation in education and jobs to 58 percent (SC 12 percent, OBC 14 percent, and ST 32 percent) in the state. The High Court had said that the violation of the 50 percent quota limit is unconstitutional. The HC order reduced the reservation for ST from the existing 32 percent to 20 percent.