Bhopal: 27% OBC reservation issue rocks Assembly

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Assembly witnessed heated discussion between treasury benches and Opposition over 27 reservation to OBC in government jobs during question hour on Monday. The Opposition wanted to know that in how many departments, 27 per cent OBC reservation has been given.

The question was asked by Congress MLA Kalpana Verma on OBC reservation in government jobs. Minister of State for Backward Class and Minority Welfare Ramkhelavan Patel said, barring three departments on which High Court had stayed reservation, its benefit existed in other departments.

Kamal Nath said that decision to raise OBC reservation to 27 per cent was taken by his previous government. Urban Administration Department Bhupendra Singh said that it was during previous Kamal Nath government that Advocate General had not appeared before the court following which reservation was stayed in three departments. He also accused previous Congress government of writing that state was having mere 14 per cent OBC population.

State Congress president Kamal Nath said that Madhya Pradesh had more than 50 per cent OBC population and it would be good if government announced 35 per cent reservation to OBC.

Amidst the uproar over the issue, Bhupendra Singh said that in the report submitted in Supreme Court on backward classes, government pushed for 35 per cent OBC reservation.