Jats demand increase in OBC reservation from 14% to 27%

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, August 5

The Uttarakhand Jat Mahasabha today urged Chief Minister Harish Rawat to increase the reservation provided to other backward classes (OBC), including Jats, in the state from 14 per cent to 27 per cent.

Office-bearers of the mahasabha at a meeting held here today said they would launch an agitation if the Central government did not include Jats in the OBC list.

Om Pal Singh Rathi, state president of the mahasabha, said the reservation for OBC, including jats, in the hill state should be raised from 14 per cent to 27 per cent. “We urge Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat to take up the issue at the Cabinet meeting. Our demand has been made through proper channel and we won’t resort to violent protest or any threatening means. Through regular reminders, protests, march, memorandums and media, we will be pressure the state government to fulfil our reservation demand,” said Rathi.

State general secretary of the mahasabha Dariyan Singh Tomar said except some Jats, a majority of those involved in violence and vandalism witnessed during the Jat agitation were anti-social elements.

Tomar added those who didn’t want Jats to be included in the OBC list were behind the violence.

Jats living in rural areas were not financially strong and hence they need reservation for development.

District president Bijendra Singh, Harendra Pal Singh Tomar, Devpal Rathi, Rajendra Baliyan, Gulveer Singh, Hukum Singh Rathi, Dr Harshwardhan Singh, Rati Ram Singh, Ramesh Tomar, Ashok Tomar, Harendra Baliyan, Mahavir Singh Malik, Yogendra Baliyan and Satendra Malik attended the meeting.