Chhattisgarh tribal quota: Two-day special Assembly session to be held on Dec 1-2

A special session of the Chhattisgarh Assembly will be held on December 1 and 2 on the issue of reservation for tribals, officials said on Thursday.

The Assembly secretariat issued a notification in this regard after Governor Anusuiya Uikey gave her approval on Wednesday evening for convening the special session, they said.

The Chhattisgarh High Court, in September this year, had set aside the state government's 2012 order to raise the quota to 58 per cent in government jobs and admissions in educational institutions and held that reservation exceeding the 50 per cent ceiling was unconstitutional.

Following the HC's decision, reservation for tribal communities, which account for 32 per cent of the state's population, declined to 20 per cent from 32 per cent.

Chief Minister Bhupesh on Wednesday said he had proposed to Speaker Charandas Mahant urging him to hold a two-day special session to discuss the issue of reservations for Scheduled Tribes.

Baghel had said his government was making all efforts to restore 32 per cent ST quota.

Incidentally, Governor Anusuiya Uikey had recently written to Baghel asking him to take immediate steps to restore the 32 per cent reservation benefits for tribals.

In the letter, she had asked the state government to pass a bill in this regard by convening a special session of the state Assembly or by bringing an ordinance.