Jaipur: Rajasthan Governor S K Singh on Thursday night gave his assent to a bill providing five per cent reservation in jobs to Gujjars and three other communities and 14 per cent to economically poor among forward castes, after which Gujjars decided to call off their five-day-old sit-in demonstration.
Earlier, the Cabinet at its meeting, presided by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, approved the long-pending bill which was brought by the previous Vasundhara Raje government.
A Raj Bhavan communiqué said the Governor had given his assent to the Rajasthan SC/ST/OBCs/Special Backward Classes (Gujjars and three other communities) and EBCs Bill, 2008.
The bill was passed by the Rajasthan assembly last year when the BJP was in power.
The communiqué said the Governor took time to give his nod as the legislation involved a number of constitutional issues which required legal opinion.
According to the bill, people belonging to the creamy layer will not be eligible for consideration against the reserved quota in any educational institution in the state.
Buoyed by the Governor's nod to the quota bill, Bainsla told reporters in Jaipur that the community leaders have decided in principle to withdraw their sit-in near Hindon town in Karoli district and he would make a formal announcement of this on Friday after celebrations at the demonstration site.
Bainsla had spearheaded long-drawn violent agitations in 2007 and 2008 to press for ST status for Gujjars and quota in job for the community members.
Bainsla thanked Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Rajasthan Governor S K Singh, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his predecessor Vasundhara Raje for the job quota for Gujjars.