Govt issues notification on 10% reservation for EWS candidates

Kolkata: The Mamata Banerjee government on Monday came out with a notification that provides 10 percent reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) under the general category in government jobs and educational institutions. The state cabinet had approved the decision on July 2.

A notification that has been issued by the state Personnel and Administrative Reforms department would now enable EWS to receive benefits of reservation "on a preferential basis in civil posts and services in the state government."

The memorandum states that the applicant availing the EWS quota has to obtain an "income and asset certificate" from Kolkata Municipal Corporation or from the District Magistrate or sub-divisional officer, that the gross annual income of his family from

all sources is below Rs 8 lakh and his family assets do not exceed five acres of agricultural land or a 1,000 sq ft flat in the city.

The income includes all sources, namely salary, agriculture, business, profession and others.

The reservation for admission will not be applicable to the Minority Educational Institutions referred to in Clause (1) of Article 30 of the Constitution. Property held by a family in different locations would be clubbed together for determining EWS status.

The EWS reservation won't apply to scientific, technical and certain other posts. Candidates will not get the EWS reservation benefit during promotion either.

"Unlike the other reserved categories such as scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs, vacancies earmarked for EWS for a particular recruitment year can't be carried forward if the authorities fail to find a suitable EWS candidate," a Nabanna official said.

"A person belonging to EWS cannot be denied the right to compete for the appointment against an unreserved vacancy. People belonging to EWS who are selected on the basis of merit and not on account of reservation are not counted towards the quota meant for reservation," read the notification.

The Backward Classes Welfare department has been entrusted with the responsibility of maintenance of post-based reservation roster for other categories of reservation. Every department would now recast group-wise post-based reservation roster for direct recruitment.