Raj Cabinet endorses reservation to Gujjars

Jaipur, Jun 19 (UNI) The Rajasthan Cabinet today endorsed the state government's decisions for extending five per cent additional reservation to Gujjars and other three castes in newly created most backward special category and 14 per cent quota to poor strata in general category higher castes, including Muslims and Christians.

The cabinet has also decided to convene the special session of the Rajasthan Assembly at the earliest to pass requisite bills for implementation of the above decisions and authorised Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje to decide the dates.

Ms Raje would now recommend to Governor Shilendra Kumar Singh for summoning of the session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Singh Rathore and Law and Justice Minister Ghanshyam Tiwari said.

The state government had signed an accord with agitating Gujjar leaders yesterday to extend 5 per cent additional special reservation quota under new Most Backward Category to Gujjars, Gadia Lohar, Banjaras and Rayaka communities.

Similarly, on the basis of interim report of the Rajasthan State Economically Backward Class Commission and memorandum from different organisations, the state government has also decided to extend 14 per cent reservation to economically weaker sections in general category unreserved castes, including Muslims and Christians.

The reservation benefits to these two categories would be available in government services, educational institutions and political reservation in Panchayati Raj institutions and civic bodies.

With this, the reservation quota in Rajasthan would now go up to 68 per cent, Mr Tiwari and Mr Rathore said.

Presently, SCs were getting 16 per cent reservation, STs 12 per cent and OBCs 21 per cent quota. Now five per cent reservation quota was being extended to most backward category comprising of four castes, and 14 per cent to poor strata in all other unreserved general castes, they said.

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