Raipur: The Chhattisgarh government has raised the total reservation quota in employment and educational institutions in the state to 76 percent after the state assembly unanimously passed two amendment bills related to reservation in government jobs and admission in educational institutions on Friday. The bills -- Chhattisgarh Public Service (Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes Reservation) Amendment Bill and Chhattisgarh Educational Institutions (Reservation in admission) Amendment Bill -- tabled by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday were passed after a debate of over five hours.

As per the bills, Scheduled Tribes will get a quota of 32 percent, Other Backward Classes 27 percent, and Scheduled Caste 13 percent, while 4 percent has been provisioned for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in public employment and admissions in educational institutions. The bills came after the recommendations of the Quantifiable Data Commission set up a survey of the people belonging to OBC and EWS categories in the state.

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The commission found that Chhattisgarh's population includes 42.41 percent OBCs and 3.48 percent EWSs. The bills triggered celebrations by the state Congress. In various districts of the state including Raipur Surguja, Congressmen burst fireworks and distributed sweets to the people. Congress leader Girish Dubey said that the Congress government of Chhattisgarh has taken a “historic decision” by passing the two bills.

The bills were sent to Raj Bhavan at around 9 pm on Friday for his consent. Four ministers of the government, Ravindra Choubey, Kawasi Lakhma, Amarjeet Bhagat, and Mohammad Akbal called on the governor regarding the bills. The Chhattisgarh High Court had, in September this year, set aside the Raman Singh-headed state government's 2012 order to raise the quota to 58 percent in government jobs and admissions in educational institutions.

The HC had said reservation exceeding the 50 percent ceiling was unconstitutional. According to the 2012 amendment, the quota for SCs was slashed by 4 percent to 12 percent, while reservation for Scheduled Tribes (STs) was increased by 12 percent, that is from 20 percent to 32 percent. The reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) was kept unchanged at 14 percent. The amended quota was effective in the state till the HC's order in September.