Meeting the longtime demand of the upper castes, the Congress government in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday approved a proposal to introduce 10 per cent job and education quota for the economically weaker section (EWS) in the general category.
The state cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel late in the evening, approved the proposal, a government spokesperson said.
A commission will be constituted to gather information related to population statistics in this connection, he said.
The Union government earlier this year introduced 10 per cent reservation in EWS segment of general category and since then the opposition BJP had been demanding its implementation in Chhattisgarh.
The benefits of reservation will be granted to people in the general category who do not avail any benefits of reservation. The size of land holdings and family income are likely to be the criteria for deciding on economically weaker sections.
The state cabinet also approved the proposals to increase reservation for Other Backward Class (OBC) and Scheduled Castes in the state and to set up Lemru Elephant Reserve in the northern part of the state. These two announcements had been made by the chief minister during his Independence day address.
The cabinet gave its nod to Chhattisgarh Public Service (Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class reservation) Act amendment ordinance.
It effects a hike in reservation for OBCs to 27 per cent from the existing 14 per cent while that for the SCs to 13 per cent from 12 per cent.
The Lemru elephant reserve will be set up on an area of 1995.48 sq km and will include parts of Korba, Kathghora, Surguja and Dharamjaigarh Forest Divisions, the government spokesperson said.
(With inputs from PTI)
