AFP Image
Kolkata:
Eye firmly on the 2011 Assembly elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Monday announced a 10 per cent reservations of jobs for socially, educationally and economically backward Muslims in the state, under the OBC category.
The policy decision was taken at the just-concluded central committee meeting and announced on a day that the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down job reservation for Muslims. (Read: Andhra Court strikes down Muslim quota)
"We have decided to accept the recommendations of the Ranganath Mishra Commission and will take steps to implement it," Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee told newsmen at the state secretariat without waiting for the Centre's decision on the report.
Buddhadeb said like other states there was reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs in the state. The government, he said, had begun the process of identifying Muslims who were educationally, socially and economically backward.
"After identification, we will provide reservation to them under the OBC category," the Chief Minister said. There was 7 per cent reservation for OBCs in the state.
Earlier in the day, a Constitution bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down a state law providing 4 per cent reservation in educational institutions and jobs to 15 groups belonging to the Muslim community.
Soon after the court's order, Chief Minister K Rosaiah directed the state advocate general D S R Murthy to file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court challenging the verdict.
On February 1, the ruling Left Front had endorsed the Ranganath Mishra panel recommendations for job reservation for minorities.
Left Front chairman Biman Bose had said that reservation was wanted for socially and economically backward Muslims and not on the basis of religion.
The announcement for reservation comes ahead of elections to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and 82 municipalities in May-June this year which are seen as the 'semi-final' before next year's Assembly polls in the state.
The policy decision was taken at the just-concluded central committee meeting and announced on a day that the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down job reservation for Muslims. (Read: Andhra Court strikes down Muslim quota)
"We have decided to accept the recommendations of the Ranganath Mishra Commission and will take steps to implement it," Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee told newsmen at the state secretariat without waiting for the Centre's decision on the report.
Buddhadeb said like other states there was reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs in the state. The government, he said, had begun the process of identifying Muslims who were educationally, socially and economically backward.
"After identification, we will provide reservation to them under the OBC category," the Chief Minister said. There was 7 per cent reservation for OBCs in the state.
Earlier in the day, a Constitution bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down a state law providing 4 per cent reservation in educational institutions and jobs to 15 groups belonging to the Muslim community.
Soon after the court's order, Chief Minister K Rosaiah directed the state advocate general D S R Murthy to file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court challenging the verdict.
On February 1, the ruling Left Front had endorsed the Ranganath Mishra panel recommendations for job reservation for minorities.
Left Front chairman Biman Bose had said that reservation was wanted for socially and economically backward Muslims and not on the basis of religion.
The announcement for reservation comes ahead of elections to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and 82 municipalities in May-June this year which are seen as the 'semi-final' before next year's Assembly polls in the state.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
