Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das announces 10% reservation for economically weak in general category

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Tuesday announced that the state government will provide 10 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions to the economically weaker sections who are not in the reservation category.

The reservation benefit would be implemented from Tuesday during the process of employment and admission, an official release said.

The chief minister said that the step was part of follow up action on the Centre's decision to provide 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education for economically weaker sections in the general category.

"In the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governments historic decision to give 10 per cent reservation to economically weaker section, Jharkhand government has also decided to provide this (10 per cent) reservation among the economically weaker category in government jobs and educational institutions," the release quoting Das said.

This 10 per cent reservation will be in addition to 50 per cent reservation given to ST/SC/BC/OBC, it said.

Thanking the government, BJP spokesman Pratul Shahdeo said Modi became the first prime minister in the history to give reservation to the economically weaker section in the general category and in Jharkhand, the chief minister gave a gift on the occasion of Makar Sankranti with the announcement.

This clearly shows the government is eager to bring the poor into the mainstream of development, he added.