PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday held an all-party meeting after the release of caste-based survey data as one of the constituents of the Grand Alliance CPI (ML) and AIMIM demanded an increase in the reservation quota.
Nitish assured CPI (ML) legislative party leader Mehboob Alam and AIMIM MLA Akhtarul Iman that he would consider their demand. Both the leaders expressed their satisfaction with CM’s assurance. Alam said that caste count was conducted to remove socio-economic disparities. In future, whatever plans are made, they should be made keeping in mind caste disparities. He said that reservation should be increased on the basis of data obtained during the caste count survey in the state.
State AIMIM president and MLA Akhtarul Imam said that the assessment of backward castes had been done. If the government wants to make schemes on the basis of this, the quota of reservation for backward classes and SCs should be increased. A separate quota for minorities should also be fixed, he said, adding that they were not getting their rights. The meeting which was held at CM Secretariat, ‘Samvad’, lasted for about two and half hours. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar chaired the meeting, which was attended by representatives of nine parties.
Meanwhile, the state government will present the report on the economic status of various castes during the winter session of the assembly. The report will also be tabled in the assembly, representatives of different political parties said after the meeting ended. Senior BJP leader and leader of opposition in the state legislative council Hari Sahni raised objection regarding the caste calculation in the meeting. He, however, did not comment on the objection he had raised. Sahni said that he would inform his leadership about the meeting and would talk about it only after that.
Earlier, Vijay Sinha said that there were several discrepancies in the survey report which were pointed out at the meeting. He said that six sub-castes in some cases have been kept together while 17 sub-castes of some have been divided separately. Congress legislature party leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan told mediapersons after the meeting that Bihar government conducted the caste-based survey from its own resources after Centre’s refusal. Its effect will be very good, he added.