Punjab cabinet nod to 10% job quota for upper caste poor

The Punjab cabinet on Saturday decided to go in for a constitutional amendment to give 10% reservation in government jobs to the economically weaker sections (EWS), a move of the NDA government at the Centre.

The proposed amendment relates to insertion of Clauses 15 (6) and 16 (6) in the Constitution of India, vide the Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019, as per a government release here.

Following the amendment, a 10% reservation would be provided to the residents of Punjab belonging to the EWS, who were not covered under the existing scheme of reservation for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, and whose families had gross annual income below ₹8 lakh.

The reservation will be provided in direct recruitment to group — A, B, C and D posts in the departments, boards, corporations, local bodies of the state, the release said.

Those persons whose family owns or possesses any of the assets – five acres of agriculture land and above, residential flat of 1,000 square feet and above, residential plot of 100 square yards and above in notified municipalities and residential plot of 200 sq yards and above in areas other than the notified municipalities — will be excluded from being identified as EWS, irrespective of the family income, the release said.

The income and assets of the family would be required to be certified after verifying all relevant documents as may be specified by the government. The cabinet also authorised the CM to approve framing, amendment and issue of any notification, as may be required, to give effect to this resolution

First Published: Mar 02, 2019 23:57 IST