Jharkhand Locals Protest, Demand 100% Quota In Government Jobs

Demanding 100 per cent reservation for local people in government jobs in Jharkhand, hundreds of youths on Monday sought to gherao Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemanta Soren's residence but the police stopped them before they reached there.

The protestors then took other routes via streets and alleys and assembled at Kanke Road near Sidhu-Kanhu Park near the chief minister's house, causing a huge traffic jam.

Ranchi Sub-divisional Officer (SDO) Deepak Kumar Dubey said, "The youths had assembled on the road causing a traffic jam. So, around 30-35 of them have been detained and others were asked to vacate the place." The youths under the banner of Jharkhand State Students' Union (JSSU) gathered at Morabadi ground and left for CM House around noon by raising slogans denouncing the '60-40 policy'. They demanded that the government reserve all jobs for locals.

To press for its demand, the organisation also called a state-wide bandh on April 19. Before that, its members will take out torchlight processions in various district headquarters on Tuesday.

The protestors alleged that government has plans to introduce a recruitment policy in which 60 per cent of seats will be reserved for various underprivileged categories while 40 per cent of seats will be open for all.

The police stopped the marching protestors near the house of JMM supremo Shibu Soren saying prohibitory order under Section 144 of CrPC is in place within 200 meters of the chief minister's residence.

Ranchi district administration on Sunday issued the order restricting processions, rallies, demonstrations and gheraos within a 200-metre radius of the chief minister's residence and secretariat.

The administration also put up barricades at strategic points leading to Hemant Soren's house.

Thereafter, the protestors reached near Sidhu-Kanhu Park, around 200 meters away from the Chief Minister's House.

The JSSU alleged that its leaders were detained by force, and many of them suffered injuries.

JSSU leader Manoj Yadav said, "Our agitation will continue until those who were detained are released and the CM talks to the students. We will not allow implementing the 60-40 based employment policy by the government." JSSU leader Devendra Mahto asserted that the government had promised an employment policy based on the 1932 'khatiyan' (land settlement). But, it has introduced a pre-2016 employment policy provisioning a 60-40 ratio, he said.

Making 1932 the cut-off year for the domicile policy will help descendants of those, who were living in present-day Jharkhand prior to that year, get benefits in various schemes such as getting government jobs.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)