Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to include the states amended provisions, which provide 76% reservation to different communitie, in the 9th schedule of the Constitution.
In the letter, the Chief Minister stated that inclusion of the amended provisions of reservation in the 9th schedule of the Constitution would ensurejusticefor the deprived and marginalized sections of the Society, considering the special circumstances of the state. He has requested the Prime Minister to direct all concerned officials to take necessary action in this regard.
The reservation (Amendment) Bill passed by the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly in December 2022 provides for 13% reservation for Scheduled Castes, 32% for Scheduled Tribes, 27% for Other Backward Classes, and 4% for Economically Weaker Sections in the state.
The Chief Minister has also highlighted that 32% of Chhattisgarh’s total Population consists of Scheduled Tribes, 13% are Scheduled Castes, and 42% are from Other Backward Classes. Moreover, 44% of the state’s land is covered with forests, and a large part of the state is covered by inaccessible mountainous regions. These factors contribute to the state’s unique situation and the need for special provisions for reservation.
Baghel pointed out that reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes were provisioned at 12%, 32%, and 14% (total 58%) respectively since 2013, which was annulled by the Chhattisgarh in 2022. In December 2022, the state assembly unanimously passed a bill based on the population of different categories to increase the reservation Percentage for SC, ST and Other Backward Classes, and EWS people to 13%, 32%, 27%, and 4%, respectively. This bill is currently pending with the Governor for his assent.