By IANS
Jaipur : The committee constituted by the Rajasthan government to suggest a special economic package for Gujjar dominated areas of the state is expected to submit its report by the end of February.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who also holds the finance portfolio, is expected to announce the special package, based on the Ramdas Agarwal committee report, in the budget to be presented in March.
The package would include infrastructure development of the area, including roads, water, and electricity.
It would also include upgradation of education and medical facilities and scholarships for the students. Unemployed youth would be provided government jobs.
“To begin with, the committee is to announce a special package for 13 of the Gujjar dominated ‘tehsils’ (villages) in the state,” sources told IANS Friday.
Earlier, the Justice Chopra committee looking into the demands of Gujjars to classify them as Scheduled Tribes had identified these areas as the most backward in the state.
The areas include Khandar, Aklera, Thanagaji, Jhalrapatan and Sapotra.
The Agarwal committee has sought reports from the social welfare and finance departments of the government by Feb 8.
After getting the reports, the committee would hold discussions till Feb 15 and an interim report would be forwarded to the state government before the end of this month, sources added.
The committee would look into the demands of the other areas after the budget session, sources added.
Gujjars, presently belonging to the other backward classes (OBC), held protests all over Rajasthan from May 29 to June 4 last year demanding their inclusion into the Scheduled Tribe category for better employment and educational opportunities.
Normal life was paralysed and at least 26 people were killed in the violence.