West Bengal passes 17% reservation bill for OBCs

A Bill was passed in the West Bengal Assembly on Friday that will provide 17 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes, other that SC/ST, in two categories. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that that the passing of the West Bengal Backward Classes (other than SC and ST) (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Bill, 2012 in the house was historic and had been drafted very carefully and took almost a year.

Making a passing reference to the Singur legislation, Banerjee said "Singur is not a hasty and a wrong decision. We will show that all promises made in the manifesto are fulfilled.

Stating that West Bengal has the highest Muslim population in the country, she said that the legislation would provide opportunity to the minorities for getting employment in state government service. She said that nearly 31 per cent to 32 per cent of the total state's population were Muslims. Leader of the Opposition Surya Kant Mishra and CPI(M) members also supported the Bill. The chief minister also asked Higher Education minister Bratya Basu to take initiative for providing higher education to the minorities. The assembly also passed The West Bengal Panchayat Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2012, by virtue of which seats would be reserved for women and other weaker sections of the society.