Haryana Cabinet likely to discuss Jat reservation Bill

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Cabinet is likely to discuss the draft Bill to provide reservation to Jats and four other castes in government jobs and educational institutions tomorrow.

The Draft Bill on reservation to Jats is likely to come up for discussion in a cabinet meeting tomorrow, an official spokesman said here today.

The BJP-led state government has said it will bring the Bill to give reservation to Jats and four other castes-Jat Sikhs, Bishnois, Tyagis and Rors in the ongoing Budget session which is scheduled to end on March 31.

"We are demanding quota in existing Backward Classes (BC) category for Jats. What we have come to know is that the government is planning to give 10 per cent reservation in the Bill by creating a third category in BC quota.

"If reservation exceeds 50 per cent ceiling, the government should include the proposed legislation in the ninth Schedule of the Constitution so that it can be protected against judicial review," said All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti President, Yashpal Malik.

"Whatever Bill is tabled in the session should be legally tenable," he said.

Jat leaders, who had earlier threatened to resume their protest, announced that no protest would be held till April 3 if the state government gets the reservation bill passed in the Assembly during the ongoing session.

The community has been demanding reservation in the existing backward classes (BC) category. The Backward Classes quota is bifurcated in two categories--BC-A and BC-B having 16 and 11 per cent reservation respectively.

A committee headed by Chief Secretary D S Dhesi to review Jat reservation has already submitted its report to the state government.