By IANS
Jaipur : The Rajasthan High Court has served a show cause notice to the state government for the constitution of a high powered committee that is looking into the demands of the Gujjar community for tribal status.
Justice K.S. Rathore after hearing a plea of Sreenarayan Kaimla and Chotu Meena passed these interim orders Monday. The plea said that the state government did not follow proper method of issuing notification for the formation of the committee headed by Justice Jasraj Chopra.
Earlier on July 10, Lakham Singh had filed a petition in the high court saying that no state government or union territory in the country had the power to constitute a commission or committee on reservations.
“As per article 338-a (9) of the Indian Constitution, every union and every state government shall consult the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes on all major policy matters affecting them, and in this case, the state government has on its own formed the commission which is contrary to the article,” the petition said.
Requesting the court to restrain the committee from working, the petitioner said this move of the government would inflate caste wars in Rajasthan.
The committee was formed after protesting Gujjars and the state government reached an agreement June 4, according to which a retired high court judge was to head a three-member committee that would look into the demands of Gujjars.
Justice Chopra, a retired judge of the Rajasthan High Court, was made the head of the committee while renowned sociologist Yogesh Atal was appointed as a member and Srinivasan, a senior IAS officer, was named a special secretary to committee.
The committee, which has already started its hearings, is slated to submit its report to the state government in three months.
The Gujjars, who are classified as other backward classes (OBCs), had held violent protests all over the state from May 29 to June 4 demanding their inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe category for better job and educational opportunities. At least 26 people were killed in the violence.