Issue of domiciliary not out of context: Nitish Kumar

Patna, July 29: With RJD chief Lalu Prasad demanding 80 per cent reservation for youths of Bihar in state jobs and admission in educational institutions under it, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said it was not "out of context".

Step could be taken in this direction, he said, if a consensus emerged among all parties after intense discussions.

"The issue of domiciliary is not out of context," Kumar told reporters emerging from state Legislative Assembly. The issue of local reservation is picking momentum in different parts of the country and hence the Centre should intervene to make some "solid arrangement" for protecting the interest of locals, he said.

Kumar, who is the national president of JD(U), said during his recent visit to neighbouring Jharkhand, he had extended support to citizens of that state on the issue of reservation for locals. "I and my party are very much in favour that residents of Bihar should get preference in employment in state jobs," he said.

"There is a need for intense discussions on the topic and if consensus emerges among all parties, steps could be taken in this direction," Kumar said.

RJD president Lalu Prasad, whose party is a major partner in the Grand Secular Alliance government in Bihar, yesterday expressed concern over Biharis being deprived in jobs in other states due to local reservation and also being in a disadvantaged position in the state itself in certain jobs requiring higher qualification.

The Opposition BJP also lent support to the issue of reservation for locals. Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi had yesterday doubted the "seriousness" of the demand and dared Lalu Prasad to ask the Grand Secular Alliance government in the state to bring a legislation to this effect, which he said, the BJP would support.

PTI