Raje govt recommends reservation for Gujjars and EBCs

Jaipur, Jan 17 (UNI) The Rajasthan government has recommended to the Centre for creation of Nomadic caste like special category for extending reservation to some groups including Gujjars who have been agitating over the demand of ST status.

The state government has also recommended 10 to 20 per cent reservation for economically backward classes(EBCs) in the non SC, non ST and non OBC higher castes, BJP Treasurer and sitting MP Ramdas Agrawal told UNI here this evening.

Mr Agrawal, who is also the Chairman of the four-member committee constituted by the state government for recommending economic package for agitating Gujjar community, said Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recommending 4 to 6 per cent reservation to four castes including Gujjars, in the above proposed special category.

Mr Agrawal said the formal report of Rajasthan State Commission of Economically Backward Classes was yet to be received by the state government but it had taken initiative to make recommendations to the Centre in favour of EBCs.

Mr Agrawal said his committee has also started work on proposed economic package for Gujjars and the same would be forwarded to the state government prior to the budget session of Rajasthan State Assembly.

After the state government's above initiative the Gujjar outfits should give up their plan to relaunch agitation over their demand of reservation from January 21 as the state government had done whatsoever was possible for it over this issue, he said.

Even after these steps, if the Gujjars opted to go ahead with their agitation from January 21, the state government would take appropriate measures to deal with the situation, Mr Agrawal warned.

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