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Nitish gives reservations a make-over, Bihar to extend quota on outsourced services

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Nitish gives reservations a make-over, Bihar to extend quota on outsourced services

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Bihar CM tweaks reservation rules; quota system to apply if government hires somebody for its work through outsourcing company and pays salary from its coffers

In a bid that could help his party, the Janata Dal (United) consolidate its vote-bank among the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes and disabled people, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has decided to give a make-over to the prevailing reservation system, at least in his state.

Days after his government decided to tweak the Bihar Reservation Act 2003 to extend reservations even in the private sector by asserting that if any government department outsources its work to a private company, the state’s 50 per cent reservation policy would apply to the said project, Kumar, on Monday, laid out the rationale for the move.

While the decision to extend quota benefits even to outsourced government projects had attracted criticism from private companies, industry bodies, sections of the Opposition and even leaders from his own JD (D)-BJP coalition government, Kumar insisted that those opposed to the move have “very little understanding” of the issue.

Kumar insisted that the new quota rules, which some ruling alliance leaders have also found fault with, were brought in accordance with the Bihar Reservation Act 2003.

The Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said that the Bihar Reservation Act proposes that it the state government hires somebody (a private player) for its work – even if through an outsourcing company – and pays salary from the Treasury’s coffers, then the quota system prevailing in the state will apply to such a project.

“If we (the government) award a contract to somebody for undertaking a work, then the contractor will not be bound by quota policy since he will be hiring and he will be paying,” Kumar clarified while adding: “in case of outsourced services availed of by the government, the reservation rules will be obviously different and will be applied as per the reservation Act.”

“People who are raising a hue and cry over the issue have very little understanding,” Kumar said.

The chief minister added: “If you’re using government money and giving employment, then you have to follow the Reservation Act of the state… Although I am opposed to outsourcing, and favour that a department should hire directly, we have made rules which ensure that if we are employing someone through outsourcing, then reservation policies should be followed.”

Raising an issue which is likely to rile India Inc., Kumar said he also wanted the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre to “initiate a debate on introducing 50 per cent reservation in the private sector.”[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]In a comment that his ally, the BJP, is not likely to be happy about, Kumar also extended his support for the demand made by the Patidars/Patels of Gujarat for reservations in government jobs and educational institutions. The reservation demand by Patidars and the face of their agitation, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti chief Hardik Patel, has pushed the BJP in poll-bound Gujarat in a tight spot, with the Congress now aggressively wooing the influential community in the western state to vote for it, instead of endorsing the saffron party.

Former Speaker of the Bihar Assembly and senior JD (U) leader Uday Narayan Choudhary has spoken against Kumar’s decision to tweak the reservation rules along with senior BJP leader from the state, CP Thakur, who claimed that the new rules may lead to public resentment and a drop in investment in the state.

Kumar, however, seemed adamant on seeing his government’s new reservation rules being implemented and said that “this is not the first experiment of its kind that we have undertaken in Bihar,” while insisting that there was a precedent that he was following. “In 2006, the state government recruited a large number of ex-army personnel (in Special Auxiliary Police force) to make up for the shortfall of policemen in the state… reservation was in place in their case also,” Kumar said.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

India News

Tax terrorism has to stop, says Congress after Income Tax Department issues fresh Rs 1,700 crore notice

The Congress has accused the BJP of squeezing it financially and of using tax authorities against it ahead of Lok Sabha elections beginning April 19.

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Ahead of the Lok Sabha election, the Congress’ financial woes worsened once again with the Income Tax Department issuing a fresh Rs 1,700 crore notice. The tax department issued the notice due to discrepancies in tax returns. 

The fresh notice is for assessment years 2017-18 to 2020-21 and includes penalty and interest. This comes a day after the Delhi High Court dismissed the party’s petition challenging the tax notices. 

The opposition party is already facing a funds crunch after Income Tax authorities imposed a penalty of Rs 200 crore and froze its funds. Furthermore, the party has not received any relief from the High Court in the case and is likely to approach the Supreme Court. The Congress has accused the BJP of squeezing it financially and of using tax authorities against it ahead of Lok Sabha elections beginning April 19.

Addressing a press conference, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said that the notices are being sent to cripple the party financially. Calling the action as tax terrorism, Jairam Ramesh said that this attack on Congress has to stop.

Earlier in February, the Income Tax department had found fault in the party’s tax returns and demanded Rs 200 crore. Subsequently, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) had asked the party to pay the dues and froze their accounts. The Congress stated the tax tribunal’s order freezing its funds was an attack on democracy as the order came just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal stated that this is a deliberate attempt by the Narendra Modi-led to bankrupt the Congress ahead of elections. He mentioned that the timing of the penalty notice, following the Delhi High Court’s dismissal of Congress petitions challenging tax reassessment proceedings, reeks of political vendetta.

He underlined that while political parties are typically exempt from taxes, this penalty is allegedly due to delayed filing of returns. He asserted that it is a blatant move by the Modi government to cripple the Congress financially, especially during the elections. He further asserted that in response to the notice, the Congress plans to stage a nationwide protest, condemning BJP’s exploitation of central agencies to target opposition parties. 

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Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati, Tejashwi Yadav mourns demise of Mukhtar Ansari, demand probe

Akhilesh Yadav mentioned that such doubtful cases should be investigated under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge.

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Mukhtar Ansari, gangster turned politician, who has been in jail since 2005, died due to cardiac arrest on Thursday. After Ansari’s death, his family alleged that the politician had been poisoned in the jail.  

Expressing sorrow, several opposition leaders demanded a probe into the death of Mukhtar Ansari. Notably, the gangster turned politician submitted an application in Barabanki court, alleging he was given some poisonous substance along with his food. He claimed that on March 19, his nerves and limbs started paining after he consumed the food.

Former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav wrote on X that a few days ago Mukhtar Ansari complained that he had been poisoned in jail, yet it was not taken seriously. He added that prima facie the move does not seem justifiable and humane. He stated that constitutional institutions should take suo motu cognizance of such strange cases and incidents.

Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Samajwadi Party Chief, Akhilesh Yadav said that the state is going through the worst phase of government anarchy. He added that it is the responsibility and duty of the government to protect someone’s life in every situation and at every place. 

The former Chief Minister added that the death of a hostage or prisoner while being confined in the police station, in a fight inside the jail, on falling ill inside the prison, while being taken to court, while being taken to hospital or during treatment in hospital will erode public confidence in the judicial process. He mentioned that such doubtful cases should be investigated under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge. He claimed that the way the government bypasses the judicial process and adopts other methods is completely illegal. 

Taking to social media platform X, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati said that the persistent apprehensions and serious allegations made by Mukhtar Ansari’s family regarding his death in jail require a high-level investigation so that the facts in his death can be revealed. 

AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi said that the people of Ghazipur lost their favourite son and brother. He added that Mukhtar Ansari had made serious allegations against the administration that he was poisoned, but the government did not pay any attention to his treatment.

Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput stated that custodial deaths and firing in jail has become very common in Uttar Pradesh. He added that high level investigation should be conducted.

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Uttar Pradesh on high alert after gangster turned politician Mukhtar Ansari death, probe ordered on poisoned in jail charge

Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP), Prashant Kumar said that as a precautionary measure, Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed across the state.

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Several towns in Uttar Pradesh are on high alert and security has been strengthened after jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of cardiac arrest. His family alleged that the gangster, who has been in jail since 2005, was poisoned. 

The jailed gangster was hurried to a hospital after he fell unconscious at district jail on Thursday night. After a few hours, he was declared dead by the doctors at the Rani Durgavati Medical College. 

Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP), Prashant Kumar said that as a precautionary measure, Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed across the state. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has also been called in to assist the police. Reportedly, the CRPF units have already been deployed in Banda, Mau, Ghazipur, and Varanasi.

Additionally, the social media cell of the Uttar Pradesh Police is also on high alert to track unlawful elements that may try to spark a riot. Furthermore, a magisterial investigation into the death of Mukhtar Ansari will be carried out by a three member team, reports said.

A former five-time MLA from Mau Sadar seat Muktar Ansari, had 60 criminal cases pending against him. The gangster turned politician was sentenced in eight cases since September 2022 by different courts of Uttar Pradesh and was lodged in the Banda jail.

Earlier, the former five-time MLA from Mau submitted an application in Barabanki court, alleging he was given some poisonous substance along with his food. He claimed that on March 19, his nerves and limbs started paining after he consumed the food.

Muktar Ansari was born into a family with deep roots in the independence struggle. His grandfather served as the Indian National Congress president in 1927. He was initially affiliated with the Bahujan Samaj Party before forming the Quami Ekta Dal (QED) after being expelled.

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