By PTI
CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar on Tuesday announced in the Assembly that there will be no change in the rules and norms of reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Backward Classes (BC) in government jobs.
The existing rules will remain, Khattar said, responding to the points raised by the opposition regarding changes brought by the state government to allow any person living in Haryana for five years to get a domicile certificate as against the earlier requirement of 15 years.
Khattar was responding to the discussion of the motion of thanks to the governor’s address in the Assembly.
On some issues flagged by opposition members regarding the government’s policy to reserve 75 per cent private sector jobs for local youths, Khattar said Haryana was not the only state to have such a provision.
“Whatever is in the interest of our state, we will do that, he said, adding if any changes are to be made, the government will do so.
“We don’t have any pressure,” he said.
Giving 75 per cent reservation in private sector jobs was a key poll promise of the BJP’s ally Jannayak Janta Party (JJP).
On the issue of farmers, he said their interests are paramount for the state government which had taken a number of steps for their welfare.
The chief minister said that state government is committed to economic development and prosperity of farmers of the state.
Khattar said the state government has also taken steps to increase crushing capacity of sugar mills.
The chief minister said that to reduce water consumption, the state government had urged farmers to adopt crop diversification and this decision too drew a lot of criticism initially.
Under the Distress Ration Scheme, 4.86 lakh families were provided free ration for three months, he said.
He accused the opposition Congress of misleading people about the rate of unemployment in the state, and said its members were quoting figures from a private agency which were not correct.