State gears up to maintain peace during bandh

Ranchi: The district administration is fully geared up to ensure law and order during the statewide bandh called by Jharkhand State Student’s Union (JSSU) in support of their seven-point demands, including withdrawal of the current 60:40 reservation policy of the state government on Wednesday.
The JSSU demands also include land records based employment policy, population-based reservation, five-year relaxation for local students in appointments and compulsory paper on regional language in competitive examinations.
The JSSU held a torch-lit procession from Jaipal Singh Munda stadium to the Albert Ekka Chowk in Ranchi on Tuesday evening to highlight their demands. On Monday, the students also attempted to gherao the chief minister’s residence, which led to lathicharge by the police.
The Sahodaya schools comprising CBSE institutions in the city will not hold physical classes on Wednesday in view of the bandh. The Jharkhand Academic Council has also postponed its Class XI examinations scheduled on Wednesday to Thursday.
Meanwhile, several organisations, including the Moolvasi Sadan Morcha have extended moral support to the bandh. President of the organisation Rajendra Prasad said the state government should withdraw the 60:40 reservation policy and frame land record-based definition of local people and reservation policy. He said, “Till the new laws are enforced, the employment policy of 1982 implemented by Bihar government should be executed.”
CPI-ML MLA Binod Singh said the state government should talk to the students and frame new employment and reservation policies.
The administration has divided Ranchi city into different zones, which would be under the charge of a senior magistrate and a DSP-rank officer. Each police station of the city has been provided with a quick reaction team. Static magistrates along with police force would be deployed at 45 places in the city. Ranchi police have been provided with four companies of Rapid Action Police to meet any untoward incident.