WB announces 10% govt jobs for Muslims

On a day when the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down job reservation for Muslims, the West Bengal government today announced 10 per cent quota in employment for the community under the OBC category.

The state government declared the quota for the Muslims who were educationally, socially and economically backward in the state.

"We have decided to accept the recommendations of the Ranganath Mishra Commission and will take steps to implement it," Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee told newsmen at the state secretariat without waiting for the Centre's decision on the report.

He said like other states, there was reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs in the state.

The government, he said, had begun the process of identifying Muslims who were educationally, socially and economically backward. There was 7 per cent reservation for OBCs in the state.

"After identification, we will provide reservation to them under the OBC category," the Chief Minister said.

Earlier in the day, a Constitution bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down a state law providing 4 per cent reservation in educational institutions and jobs to 15 groups belonging to the Muslim community.

Soon after the court's order, Chief Minister K Rosaiah directed the state advocate general D S R Murthy to file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court challenging the verdict.

On February one, the ruling Left Front had endorsed the Ranganath Mishra panel recommendations for job reservation for minorities.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose had said that reservation was wanted for socially and economically backward Muslims and not on the basis of religion.

The announcement for reservation comes ahead of elections to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and 82 municipalities in May-June this year which are seen as the 'semi-final' before next year's assembly polls in the state.