Gujarat government has announced 10% quota for all the non-reserved categories on the basis of their annual income. As per the proposal, families, whose annual income is less than Rs. 6 lakh, will be eligible to get education and employment support.
After making the discussions with BJP president Amit Shah and conducting meeting with the state cabinet ministers, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel made the announcement.
“This 10% reservation will not cause any changes to the reservation already offered to members of the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC),” CM said.
Patidar community's demand since last year, for the reservation, has risen and even warned to withdraw the support to BJP government, which is one of the key vote bank of the party.
In that sense, the Patidar's strong influence was even felt, after BJP and Congress had a tie in the recently held Gandhi Nagar civic polls.
After 9 persons were dead in the Patel agitation in the September last year, the state government, under Mukhyamantri Yuva Swavlamban Yojna, had announced a Rs. 1,000-crore package for the economically backward community.
The CM's scheme also included scholarships for the students and also age limit relaxation for the jobs, adding to it, the criterion to avail the benefits under the scheme is the annual income of the family, should not exceed Rs. 4.5 lakh.
Students securing above 90% or more in Class 12, would get 50% fee waiver with a ceiling of Rs. 2 lakh per year in self-financed medical colleges, while those pursuing the engineering and pharmacy courses, would be eligible to a ceiling of Rs. 50,000. The age limit to apply government jobs was also raised from 28 years to 33 years.
However, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convenor Hardik Patel on behalf of the Patel community had dismissed the package as a ‘lollipop’ and continued to agitate for their demands.
Lukewarm response was witnessed recently, when the community attempted to hold the state to ransom with their call for ‘Gujarat bandh’, to protest against the imprisonment of Hardik and other community leaders.
By Phani Ch
