Jat agitation: Top govt panel reviews situation

The government's crisis management group (CMG) today reviewed the situation arising out of the continuous agitation by Jats for job quota and the steps being taken for smooth flow of trains and road traffic in north India.

The Centre is also mulling changing rules to allow the National Commission for Backward Castes (NCBC) to receive representations of the Jats to consider community's pleas for inclusion in the central government list of backward castes.

The existing rules do not allow the NCBC to take the petitions of the Jats as it had long ago rejected their pleas for inclusion in the quota list.

"The change of this particular rule does not need any parliamentary approval. So, the ministry of social justice and empowerment is likely to issue an official notification in this effect soon so that the NCBC can consider their pleas again," an official said.

The CMG, headed by cabinet secretary KM Chandrasekhar, took stock of the situation in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan where the agitation of the Jat community affected normal life, particularly the railway traffic.

The meeting also deliberated a few options which could be considered to bring back normalcy in the affected areas.

Officials said the train traffic between Delhi and Chandigarh continues to be affected with suspension of several trains today due to the blockade by Jats in Haryana.

The home ministry has already dispatched 1,000 paramilitary personnel to Haryana to assist local authorities to deal with any law and order situation there.

On Saturday, the Jats withdrew their fortnight-long blockade from the railway tracks in Uttar Pradesh following an Allahabad high court order, but a crucial meeting between the protesters and Union home minister P Chidambaram and social justice and empowerment minister Mukul Wasnik failed to find an amicable solution to the demand.

All India Jat Aarakshan Samiti chief Yashpal Malik said they would continue their agitation as the government did not give any commitment on the time-limit on implementation of the demand even though it accepted that the demand was justified.

However, secretary in the ministry of social justice and empowerment KM Acharya said the demand for inclusion of Jats into the central list of OBCs has to be taken by the NCBC for which the government cannot give any time-bound commitment as the Commission was an independent entity.