Dhami’s action on reservation of women in government jobs, Uttarakhand government filed SLP in Supreme Court

The Uttarakhand government has filed a special writ petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the ban on 30 per cent reservation for local women in jobs. Now it will be decided only after legal rigging whether the women of the state will get reservation in government jobs or not. Local women started getting reservation in government jobs in Uttarakhand from July 18, 2001. Then it started with 20 percent reservation. On July 24, 2006, it was increased to 30 per cent. Till now, on the basis of only one mandate, local women were getting this benefit of reservation in jobs. Last year, after the Public Service Commission’s Uttarakhand Combined Select Service Examination, when the result was declared this year, a woman candidate from Haryana, Pavitra Chauhan, had moved the High Court against it. The candidate argued that his marks were higher than the local candidate of Uttarakhand but he was thrown out. On August 24, the High Court, after hearing, stayed the horizontal reservation being given to local women.

On Monday, on behalf of the state government, Advocate on the Record Vanshman Shukla has filed an SLP against this order in the Supreme Court. Dr. Lalit Mohan Rayal, Additional Secretary, Personnel Department has confirmed this. Sources said that many arguments have been given in the affidavit given by the state government to maintain women’s reservation.

It was said by the government that the geographical conditions of Uttarakhand are different from other states. The women here are completely dependent on their local livelihood. From the stove to the farm-barns, the work of the barns is dependent on them. The representation of local women in government jobs is very low, so reservation in government jobs is very important for them to be included in the mainstream of the society.

Preparing to bring an ordinance

The state government is also working on the option of bringing an ordinance along with the SLP. Sources say that if there is no relief from the Supreme Court, then the only option left is to bring an ordinance. Its draft has also been prepared. Its legal examination is being done by the Justice Department.

What is Horizontal Reservation

The reduction in vertical reservation given in jobs in government departments is called horizontal reservation. It is also called interlocking reservation. This should not affect the existing reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs and Economically Weaker Sections. The benefit of horizontal reservation can be given only from the remaining general reservation. At present, there is a provision of reservation of 19 for Scheduled Castes, four for Scheduled Tribes, 14 for OBC and 10 for Economically Weaker Sections in Uttarakhand.