Commission for enactment of Backward Classes Act

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 24

Amid political instability in the state ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections, a state-level meeting of the Punjab State Commission for Backward Classes (BC), was conducted in the district.

As per sources, the members of the commission have urged CM Charanjit Channi to implement the Backward Classes Act in the state, giving the community an equal status as that to Scheduled Caste. The members also sought reservation for BC leaders in each district on at least one seat.

The meeting of the commission was held at the residence of Yashpal Dhiman, district-based member of the commission, at Lajpat Nagar, Jalandhar.

The commission members passed the agenda of presenting the BC Act to be enacted by the state government. With regard to this, recommendations were forwarded to the CM to pass the Act, which provides equal rights and reservation as provided under the SC Act, 1989.

“The objectives of the Act clearly emphasise the intention of the government to deliver justice to these communities through proactive efforts to enable them to live in society with dignity and self-esteem and without fear, violence or suppression from the dominant castes. The practice of untouchability, in its overt and covert form, was made a cognisable and non-compoundable offence and strict punishment is provided for any such offence. Grievances received by the commission under the Act from across the state were also discussed during the meeting and necessary actions were ordered to resolve these. It was among the main agendas discussed in the meeting,” said Yashpal.

Proposals were also passed by the members stressing upon the commission to conduct meetings in every district to resolve complaints.

The commission is set to meet the CM and Social Justice Minister to safeguard the rights of BC communities and 31 per cent BC quota to be provided in the Vidhan Sabha seats and government jobs as per the population. At present, Dhiman said, considering the 75 per cent BC communities in the state, complaints coming to the commission would be resolved on a priority and it was making sure there was continuous decline in the incidents against the underprivileged in the state.