Maharashtra to edit Bill for private sector job reservation

Strong reactions from the industry and the Opposition, particularly the Shiv Sena, have forced the Maharashtra government to dilute a contro...

Strong reactions from the industry and the Opposition, particularly the Shiv Sena, have forced the Maharashtra government to dilute a controversial legislation for introducing job quotas in the private sector for backward classes.

The law will now be applicable only to establishments which have benefited from various government schemes. ‘‘We have decided to correct a particular section of the legislation which says the reservation will be applicable to companies which have been issued licences by the government,’’ said Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Tuesday.

A major chunk of the private sector will be exempted

from the requirement of reserving jobs if the word ‘‘licence’’ is dropped from the Bill, which authorises the state government to enforce quotas in the private sector.

Story continues below this ad

Shinde said the issue was raised by Opposition leader Narayan Rane. ‘‘The reservation will now be limited to private establishments which have received government plots, incentives or concessions,’’ he added. The previous definition of establishments required to provide reservations to SCs, STs, NTs (Nomadic Tribes), SBCs (Special Backward Category) and OBCs was so wide that most industries came under its ambit.

The move comes at a time when the UPA alliance incorporated job quotas in the private sector as part of its Common Minimum Programme.