Chandigarh, March 28 (IANS) After his government failed to introduce the bill to provide reservation to Jat and other communities on Monday, as was anticipated, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the bill would be brought in the ongoing session of the assembly.
"The bill on reservation for Jats could be brought any day in the ongoing session of the state assembly, which would continue for three more days," Khattar told the media after the session ended for the day.
It was anticipated in Haryana's political circles that the government will introduce the reservation bill on Monday after the cabinet approved its draft earlier in the day.
"There was no confusion in this regard as a promise has already been made to introduce the bill in the Vidhan Sabha. Therefore, it can be in the list of business any day," Khattar said while trying to clear the air on delay in introducing the bill.
The state cabinet, earlier on Monday, cleared the bill that proposes to provide reservation to the politically-dominant Jat community and four other communities -- Jat Sikhs, Tyagis, Bishnois and Rors.
Khattar had made it clear earlier that the existing 27 percent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the state would not be disturbed as the OBC community is opposing inclusion of Jats in their category for reservation.
A five-member committee under the chairmanship of the chief secretary was formed earlier this month to prepare draft of the bill to grant reservation under the ambit of the Constitution.
The Jat community has extended its deadline for the reservation demand till April 3.
The Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state had promised reservation for the Jat community and others after the recent Jat agitation for reservation left the state paralysed for nine days.
As many as 30 people were killed and 320 injured and property worth hundreds of crores of rupees was destroyed as the agitation turned violent.
