Chandigarh, Oct 18 (PTI) The state Cabinet Friday approved the recommendations of the Haryana Scheduled Castes Commission’s report following the Supreme Court’s decision that states are constitutionally empowered to make sub-classifications within the Scheduled Castes for granting reservation.
According to an official statement, the Cabinet, which met here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, decided to approve the recommendations of the Commission’s report and to append it to the rules of Business of the state government.
Speaking to reporters on Friday after his first Cabinet meeting, Saini said it has been decided to implement the decision of the Supreme Court which held that states are constitutionally empowered to make sub-classifications within the Scheduled Castes for granting reservation.
“In the first meeting, our Cabinet has decided to implement the decision from today itself,” he said.
On August 1, the top court held that states are constitutionally empowered to make sub-classifications within the Scheduled Castes, which form a socially heterogeneous class, for granting reservation for the upliftment of castes that are socially and educationally more backward.
According to an official statement, the recommendations of the Haryana Scheduled Castes Commission’s report state that as a result of a contemporaneous study conducted by the Commission to assess the representation of Deprived Scheduled Castes in government services, the Commission has come to the conclusion that they are not adequately represented in the state’s government services.
“Whereas other Scheduled Castes are represented more than adequately in the state’s government services in comparison to their proportion of their population in the SC category in the state,” the statement said.
The Commission has clearly found that the reservations for SCs in the Haryana government services in Groups ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ categories are skewed towards castes in other Scheduled Castes.
The reservations for Scheduled Castes in the government’s Services in Group ‘D’ are skewed towards the Deprived Scheduled Castes.
Therefore, sub-classification by the state government is required to ensure the equality of opportunity and to ensure adequate representation in public employment, it stated.
Based on the apex court’s judgment, the Haryana State Commission for Scheduled Castes recommended various courses of action for sub-classifications of Scheduled Castes and the principle of reservation within the category of Scheduled Castes.
For the purpose of sub-classified reservations in services, the Scheduled Castes in Haryana shall be in two categories — Deprived Scheduled Castes (DSC) and Other Scheduled Castes (OSC).
The statement quoting the Commission’s report stated that the OSC will consist of Chamar, Jatia Chamar, Rehgar, Raigar, Ramdasi, Ravidasi, Balahi, Batoi, Bhatoi, Bhambi, Chamar-Rohidas, Jatav, Jatava, Mochi, Ramdasia.
The DSC will consist of Balmiki, Chura, Bhangi, Dhanak, Bazigar, Mazhabi, Mazhabi Sikh, Ad Dharmi – Aheria, Aheri, Hari, Heri, Thori, Turi, Kori, Koli, Pherera-Rai Sikh, Pasi, Batwal, Barwala, Bauria, Bawaria, and Megh, among others.
Within the 20 per cent quota reserved for scheduled castes in direct recruitment to government services, one-half or 10 per cent quota will be reserved for candidates from the DSC.
If and only if suitable candidates from the DSC are not available, the candidate from OSC may be considered for appointment to fill up the balance of vacant posts, as per the Commission’s report.
Similarly, one-half or 10 per cent quota will be reserved for candidates from the OSC. If and only if suitable candidates from the OSC are not available, those from the DSC may be considered for appointment to fill up the balance of vacant posts, it said. PTI SUN RHL
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