THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major decision, the government on Wednesday approved a proposal to provide 10 percent reservation for economically backward members of forward communities in appointments to the five Devaswom Boards in the state. Reservation for Ezhava community was raised from 14 to 17 percent. The share of SC/ ST members was upped from 10 to 12 per cent and that of other backward castes (except Ezhava) from 3 to 6 per cent.
Express had earlier reported that the Devaswom Recruitment Board had submitted a proposal to implement reservation for forward communities in Devaswom appointments. The 18 per cent reservation for Christian and Muslim communities in government appointments is not applicable in Devaswom recruitment. The new reservation for forward communities and the hiking of the share of other categories were pooled from this 18 per cent.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters that this was the first of its kind reservation in the country for the poor in forward communities. The Devaswom Recruitment rules will be amended for this. “Reservation for economically backward members in forward communities is a policy decision of the LDF. We want this to be extended to all government appointments,” he said.
It is for the first time in the country that the economically backward among forward castes are being given reservations. Kerala Cabinet decides to set reservation quota for the economically backward among forward castes in recruitment to all 5 Devaswom boards in Kerala. Pinarayi Vijayan