Paswan pitches for quota in private sector jobs

Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday made a pitch for reservation for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and those belonging to Backward communities in private sector jobs.

The Lok Janshankti Party (LJP) chief Paswan said his party feels that private companies, who have been availing benefits from the government, should provide reservation to Dalits in employment.

He also made a strong pitch for increasing state and Central budgetary allocation for SCs and STs, in proportion to their population. "There should also be enhanced representation to the backward classes in judiciary," Paswan said.

The Narendra Modi government at the Centre is committed to the welfare of Dalits, Paswan said. Work at Chaityabhumi at Mumbai and Deekshabhumi at Nagpur is being expedited, coinciding with the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, he added.

Paswan, who undertook a tour to Aurangabad in the Marathwada region to inaugurate a function to mark 20 months of the NDA government at the Centre, said various initiatives such as PM's Jan Dhan Yojana, Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Crop Insurance Scheme, will prove to be 'Ramban' (panacea) for the common man.

"At Aurangabad, I met leaders of BJP, LJP, Shiv Sena and addressed a public meeting," the Union minister said.

Asked about his views on the performance of the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar, Paswan said, "the present regime there has failed miserably on the law and order front." 

"Jungle Raj has returned in Bihar," he alleged.