Now NCP eyes reservation pie, demands upper castes’ quota

Taking a cue from the Congress Government in Rajasthan, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday demanded 14 per cent reservation in g...

Taking a cue from the Congress Government in Rajasthan, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday demanded 14 per cent reservation in government jobs for the economically weaker among the upper castes.

‘‘Maharashtra Government should fully support the Rajasthan Government in demanding reservation for upper castes,’’ Deputy Chief Minister and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said in a letter to CM Sushilkumar Shinde on Friday.

Ironically, Bhujbal is in New Delhi to attend his party’s conclave while Shinde is in Srinagar to participate in a meeting of Congress CMs. The excerpts of the letter were made public, in an apparent bid to score over the Congress and BJP.

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Bhujbal has suggested the Cabinet should pass a proposal supporting reservation for the economically backward among the upper castes.

The state already gives fee concession to students belonging to this section in aided educational institutions. The NCP now wants reservation for upper castes in government jobs.

A General Administration Department official pointed out the state already has provision for 52 per cent reservation for different socially backward sections in recruitment. That includes Scheduled Castes (13 per cent), Scheduled Tribes (7 pc), nomadic tribes (8 per cent for three groups), Other Backward Classes (19 pc) and some other sections of Backward Classes (5 pc). The open category is left with 48 per cent of total recruitment opportunities.