Ramkrishan Upadhyay
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 14
The UT Administration today became the first UT to implement 10 per cent quota for the economically weak among upper castes in government jobs.
The Administration notified the policy, directing all departments to provide 10 per cent reservation to the general category poor in jobs in all civil posts and services.
In a letter issued to the departments, the Administration said the UT had decided to implement the quota in letter and spirit on the directions of the Centre.
The Central Government had passed a law to provide 10 per cent reservation to the general category poor in jobs and educational institutions. An officer of the UT Administration said while the respective states were required to implement it after passing a law in the Assembly, Chandigarh, being a UT, had implemented the directions issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension.
The notification stated that persons who were not covered under the existing schemes of reservation for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and socially backwards classes and whose family had a gross annual income below Rs 8 lakh were to be identified as EWS for the benefit of reservation.
The income shall include income from all sources such as salary, agriculture, business and profession. Persons whose family owns or possesses any of the following assets shall be excluded from being identified as EWS irrespective of the family income: 5 acre of agriculture land and above, residential flats of 1,000 sq ft and above, residential plots of 100 sq yard and above in notified municipalities and residential plot of 200 sq yard and above in areas other than the notified municipalities. The UT has already decided to implement the quota in educational institutions.