Congress leader Sachin Pilot has sought the intervention of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for resolving the issues of 5% reservation to Gujjars and the community’s progress and welfare. Mr. Pilot has claimed that the quota provisions for the Most Backward Classes (MBC) were not being applied to the recruitments in the State.
Mr. Pilot belongs to the pastoral Gujjar community. Though he had very rarely raised the issues related to Gujjars in the past, Mr. Pilot said the people had met him and demanded proper implementation and sufficient budget for the schemes meant for the community.
In a letter written to Mr. Gehlot on September 2 and released to the media here on Saturday, Mr. Pilot said the Congress had mentioned in its manifesto for the 2018 Assembly election and the Congress government had agreed in 2011 to keep 4% posts reserved as “shadow posts” for the Special Backward Classes (SBC).
After the Rajasthan High Court struck down reservation for the SBCs in 2016, the new MBC category was created in the State for extending 5% quota in the government jobs and educational institutions to Gujjars and four other nomadic communities.
Mr. Pilot said the 5% reservation rule had not been applied to the recruitment of police constables, second grade schoolteachers, Panchayati Raj lower division clerks, technical helpers and other posts. He said the development works under the Devnarayan Board and Devnarayan Scheme meant for Gujjars, living in far-off regions, were almost stalled.
