A first: Guj panel to study upper caste problems
Manas Dasgupta
Gandhinagar, October 3
Gujarat became the first state in the country to set up a permanent commission to study problems faced by the non-reserved categories (upper castes) and recommend corrective measures thereof.
Minister for Law and Judiciary Pradipsinh Jadeja said the commission would soon come into existence after the publication of a notification in the government gazette.
The panel will have seven members. A person knowledgeable about the problems being faced by the upper castes will be appointed its chairman and a joint secretary-level officer will be its member secretary. The government will also appoint 18 employees for it.
The announcement was made in a bid to woo the upper caste communities ahead of the Assembly poll. It was also considered as a result of the “agreement” reached with some Patel leaders agitating for quota benefits last week.
Apart from a section of the Patels, including Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti convener Hardik Patel, most other upper caste communities have rejected the idea of forming a permanent commission without giving reservation benefits as applicable to the Other Backward Classes (OBC).
Jadeja said the proposed commission would survey social and economic conditions of the non-reserved communities and propose measures for their welfare and development. It would also study the existing welfare measures of the government and recommend required changes. It will also study such welfare schemes available in any other state or union territories and re-work the same for implementation in Gujarat.
The state government will also form an Education and Economic Development Board for the upper caste communities with a share capital of Rs 600 crore, including Rs 500 crore for giving soft business loans and scholarships. Jadeja said the decision would benefit 58 non-reserved castes.
The government also announced an one-man judicial inquiry commission to be headed by retired High Court judge KA Punj to probe alleged police atrocities on members of the community during the violent agitation for OBC quota two years ago.
