CM Bhupesh Baghel writes to PM Narendra Modi urging him to include amended provisions of reservation in ninth schedule of Constitution

Raipur

Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting the Prime Minister to include the amended provision of reservation in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution keeping in mind special circumstances of Chhattisgarh. In the reservation bill passed by the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, a provision has been made to give reservation to different classes in proportion to their population.

Baghel has written in the letter that the total population of Chhattisgarh includes 32 percent Scheduled Tribes, 13 percent Scheduled Castes and 42 percent other backward classes. 44 percent of the state is covered with forests, and a large area is surrounded by inaccessible hilly areas. Due to all these reasons, difficulties have to be faced in conducting economic activities in other parts of the state except the plain areas.

According to the Reserve Bank of India’s 2012 report, the number of poor in the state of Chhattisgarh was the highest in the country (about 40 percent). The socio-economic and educational status of the other backward classes of the state is as weak as that of the SC/ST people. 3/4th of these classes are farmers, marginal and small farmers, and a large number of them are agricultural labourers.

The Chief Minister has said in the letter that from the year 2013, a provision of 12, 32 and 14 percent (total 58 percent) reservation was made in the state for members of Scheduled Castes, Tribes and Other Backward Classes respectively, which was upheld by the Chhattisgarh High Court in the year 2022. In December 2022, the state assembly unanimously passed the bill and decided to increase the percentage of reservation for SC, ST, OBC and EWS to 13, 32, 27 and 4 percent respectively on the basis of the population of different classes. The bill is currently pending with the Governor for approval.

With the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court validating the decision of giving 10 percent reservation to the people of EWS category in November 2022, the way has been paved to increase the limit of reservation from 50 percent. In the last month, proposals have been passed in Jharkhand and Karnataka Legislative Assemblies to increase the percentage of reservation for various classes to more than 50.

It is noteworthy that the per capita income of Tamil Nadu state is much higher than that of Chhattisgarh, while in many states of the North-East, reservation for tribes and backward classes is more than the limit of 50 percent. Keeping in view the special circumstances of the state of Chhattisgarh also, the people of the deprived and backward classes will be able to get justice only after including the amended provision in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. It is requested that you may kindly direct all the concerned in this regard, wrote the chief minister.