Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on November 9 said he has sent a proposal to Speaker Charandas Mahant requesting him to convene a two-day special session of the State Assembly on December 1 and 2 to discuss the issue of reservation for tribals. The tribals constitute 32% of the State's population.
“Mr. Baghel has assured tribal communities that his government has been making every possible effort to provide them the benefit of 32% quota,” an official statement said.
The Chhattisgarh High Court in September this year set aside the State government's 2012 Order to raise the quota to 58% in government jobs and admissions in educational institutions and held that reservation exceeding the 50% ceiling is unconstitutional.
Following the High Court's decision, the reservation for tribal communities declined to 20% from 32%.
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“A team of senior State government officials and social workers from Chhattisgarh will soon visit Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to study the legal status of reservation being provided there,” the government statement said.
“The provisions made in the Constitution for the welfare of tribals and to protect their interests are being followed in Chhattisgarh. It is our clear intention to ensure tribals enjoy all the constitutional rights provisioned in the Constitution,” it added.
Chhattisgarh Governor Anusuiya Uikey recently wrote a letter to Mr. Baghel asking him to take immediate steps to restore the 32% reservation benefits for tribals. “The Governor had assured full cooperation in the matter,” officials earlier said.
