Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav on Monday said his government remains firm in its stand on the 27 percent reservation for other backward classes (OBC) (in government services).
Mr. Yadav’s statement comes in the wake of the recent verdict by the supreme court clarifying that there is no judicial restriction on implementing the enhanced OBC quota in Madhya Pradesh.
The chief minister said his government is going to consult the solicitor general on the matter, besides studying the recommendations of the OBC commission.
This apart, the state government will also discuss with the petitioners who have moved the court on the issue, he added.
A division bench of the supreme court last fortnight dismissed a plea challenging the Madhya Pradesh high court’s order allowing 27 percent quota for the OBC in the state.
The row over the 27 percent reservation quota in Madhya Pradesh erupted in March 2019 when the previous Kamal Nath government raised the quota for the OBC from 14 percent to 27 percent in the state.
The Madhya Pradesh high court later stayed the enhanced quota for the OBC, citing the 50 percent reservation ceiling.
After the high court’s 2019 stay on the increased quota, several recruitment processes in the government were halted.
Around 70 related petitions were filed in the high court.
In 2022, the state government introduced 87:13 formula, under which 13 percent posts were not filled up till the disposal of cases relating to the matter pending in the court.
The government’s move was challenged in the high court.
On January 28 this year, the high court rejected the petitions challenging the 87:13 formula of the state government.
On February 13 this year, the state government moved the supreme court seeking an early hearing on OBC quota.
Sources said the state government wants to study the legal implications of the implementation of the 27 percent quota for the OBC, before taking a final decision on it.
Before 2019, Madhya Pradesh had reservations of 14 percent for the OBC, 20 percent for ST, and 16 percent for SC- totaling 50 percent.
The enhanced OBC quota has raised total reservation to 63 percent, breaching the 50 percent quota ceiling.
