Madhya Pradesh issues ordinance hiking quota for OBCs

Bhopal: The Kamal Nath government here promulgated an ordinance increasing quota for the other backward classes (OBCs) in government jobs by 13 per cent to 27 per cent in Madhya Pradesh on the eve of announcement of the schedule of Lok Sabha elections declared on Sunday.

The state government earlier announced to provide 10 per cent quota in government jobs for the economically backward people belonging to the upper castes.

With this, the reservation in government jobs in Madhya Pradesh is set to reach 73 per cent, 23 per cent in excess of the limit set by the Supreme Court for the purpose.

The state government was, however, silent on the issue.

Earlier, the state government earmarked a quota of 20 per cent for STs, 16 per cent for SCs and 14 per cent for OBCs in government jobs.

“Madhya Pradesh is the first state in the country to reserve 27 per cent of jobs in the government sector for OBC,” chief minister Kamal Nath said in a video-recorded statement released hours before the announcement of the LS schedule on Sunday.

The ruling Congress is trying to woo OBC and upper caste people in the April-May LS elections with the move, sources said.