Enforce apex court order on sub-classification: SC body
Sunit Dhawan
Tribune News Service
Rohtak, August 9
The Akhil Bharatiya Vanchit Anusuchit Jati Mahapanchayat has urged the Haryana Government to implement the Supreme Court’s recent order on sub-classification of the Scheduled Castes in the state.
One block getting more benefits
There are two blocks among the Scheduled Castes in Haryana — A and B. The castes under the B block have been getting a lion’s share of reservation benefits in the provision of government jobs, while the castes under the A block generally remain deprived of these. — Dr Swadesh Kabir, Head, Akhil Bharatiya Vanchit Anusuchit Jati Mahapanchayat
A seven-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud ruled that the further sub-classification of SCs and STs by states can be permitted to ensure the grant of quota to more Backward Castes inside these groups.
“There are two blocks among the Scheduled Castes in Haryana — A and B block. The castes under the B block have been getting a lion’s share of reservation benefits in the provision of government jobs, while the castes under the A block generally remain deprived of these,” said Dr Swadesh Kabir, head of the mahapanchayat.
The recent verdict of the Supreme Court said the states are empowered to make sub-classifications of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) for granting quotas inside the reserved category to uplift the more underprivileged castes.
A seven-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud ruled that the further sub-classification of SCs and STs by states can be permitted to ensure the grant of quota to more Backward Castes inside these groups.
Welcoming the verdict, the mahapanchayat has urged the Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to implement it in the state.
“As many as 42 castes which come under SC A-block had been demanding the restoration of A and B block classification in the state for the past 18 years. Due to the lack of the said classification, up to 92 per cent benefit of reservation was being taken by one prominent caste under the B-block,” said Kabir.
He pointed out that the A and B block classification was maintained in Haryana for reservation in government jobs in November, 1994. However, it was scrapped in July, 2006.
In June 2020, the SC A and B block classification was implemented in the admission to educational courses in Haryana.
The mahapanchayat has maintained that the members of the SC A block would support the ruling BJP in the upcoming elections to the state Assembly if the said classification is restored in Haryana.
