Haryana industry now awaits orders on private job quota

Geetanjali Gayatri

Chandigarh, February 17

All eyes are on the Punjab and Haryana High Court, with the industry adopting a wait-and-watch approach on the law pertaining to the 75 per cent reservation for locals in private jobs that offer a monthly salary of Rs 30,000 or less.

Portal functional again

The dedicated portal for registration of locals for employment and registration of companies is functional again. The portal was closed down after the Punjab and Haryana High Court had stayed the law granting 75 percent reservation for locals. Registration was resumed within hours of the SC vacating the stay, ACS (Labour) Raja Shekhar Vundru said.

The Supreme Court vacated the stay on the law, but has asked the Punjab and Haryana High Court to decide the matter in four weeks.

While the Labour Department held a meeting to deliberate on how to proceed following the vacation of the stay, the industry says the SC order is “favourable” to neither party since a final decision is pending.

“The SC has said that no coercive action can be taken against the employers and left the decision to the High Court, which grated stay in the matter. There must have been some merit in the case that we got a stay. Let us await the final decision of the court. Both these directions are favourable and we will fight it,” said Rajiv Chawla, a Faridabad industrialist.

From the Gurgaon Industries Association, JN Mangla, maintained that the vacation of the stay was nothing to celebrate for those advocating this law since the High Court has been authorised to decide the case.

“The court will listen to us as well before a decision is taken. The next four weeks are critical. If we win, the law will not be enforced. If we lose, we will go by the government order on employing 75 per cent locals in the specific income bracket. However, right now, we have to wait and see the final order,” Mangla stated, adding that the industry was still hopeful.

Meanwhile, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala has welcomed the Supreme Court order vacating the stay imposed by the Punjab and Haryana High court on the law, granting 75 per cent employment quota for locals.

The Deputy CM said they had again won the fight for the rights of the youth of Haryana in the case of 75 per cent jobs for locals. He said the SC had given a “big decision” that was completely in the interest of the youth.