76% quota stand-off: CM writes to Guv, requests him to meet OBC associations

Raipur:Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has written a letter to Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan, requesting him to give an appointment to meet the delegation of state’s OBC Mahasabha and state backward classes welfare association and referred to the request raised by the associations that have sought to meet governor via CM.During the OBC Mahasammelan organised in Raipur on August 27, he was asked by the Chhattisgarh OBC Mahasabha and backward classes welfare association that they want to meet the governor regarding their pending demands. Hence, he is requesting the Governor to allot time for the delegation to meet and consider their demands sympathetically, the chief minister wrote in the letter. On Sunday, the members of association met CM placed their demand in context of benefits to the OBC category in public welfare schemes of the government remaining pending and urged him to implement a 27% OBC reservation at the earliest. In 2012, the previous Raman Singh government revised the reservation formula, allocating 32% for Scheduled Tribes (STs), 12% for Scheduled Castes (SCs), and 14% for other backward classes, bringing the overall reservation to 58%. However, the Chhattisgarh high court in 2022 set aside the order, asserting that any reservation exceeding 50% is unconstitutional. Subsequently, the matter was appealed to the Supreme Court.Meanwhile, the Bhupesh Baghel government passed two bills in December 2022, raising overall quota to 76% -- 32% for STs, 13% for SCs, 27% for OBCs and 4% for EWS categories. The bills were forwarded for the the then Governor of Chhattisgarh, Anusuiya Uikey, for her approval. However, she has not yet granted her assent, and the bills have been pending since then.In May 2023, the Supreme Court issued an interim order staying the high court's decision. This development allowed the state to reinstate the reservation for government jobs and educational institutions to an overall 58%— 32% for STs, 13% for SCs, 14% for OBCs