Govt allows Jats, 4 other castes to apply for jobs ‘provisionally’

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 27

Despite stay by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on quota for Special Backward Classes (SBCs)—Jats, Rors, Tyagis, Jat Sikhs and Bishnois—in jobs, the Khattar Government has allowed these castes to compete for government jobs “provisionally”.

An order issued on behalf the Chief Secretary made it clear that they would be issued “provisional” admit cards on condition that their results would be declared after the final outcome of a writ petition pending in the High Court. “These candidates, except for those who have availed the benefit of age relaxation, shall be considered against the merit of general candidates in case the final verdict quashed the reservation notification,” the order said.

In case the writ is not decided till the recruitment process is over, the result of SBCs, who have availed the benefits of age and fee relaxation, and had competed in merit with general candidates, their result will be withheld till the case is decided. The results of those SBCs candidates would be declared, who compete with the general candidates without any benefits of age relaxation.

“ In case the High Court upholds the SBC quota notification, these candidates, with or without the benefit of age relaxation, shall be selected as per the same ratio that other reserved category candidates are selected,” the order asserted.

Meanwhile, for the posts yet to be advertised, revised requisition would be sought from the departments concerned after withholding the number of posts meant for the SBCs. These would subsequently be advertised for the SBCs as a backlog or for general candidates depending upon the final judgement of the High Court.

Earlier, the Haryana Government had directed the educational institutions to keep 10 per cent of the seats reserved for these castes vacant till the disposal of the writ petition by the High Court

The previous Hooda government had given a quota to these castes as part of its vote-bank politics in the run-up to last year’s parliamentary and Assembly elections. While 5 per cent seats were to be reserved for these castes in Class I and II posts, their quota was pegged at 10 per cent for Class III and IV jobs.