Union MoS for Social Justice and RPI(A) president Ramdas Athawale. (Express photo) Union MoS for Social Justice and RPI(A) president Ramdas Athawale. (Express photo)

The reservation ceiling in government jobs should be increased from 50 to 75 per cent, said Ramdas Athawale, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, on Friday. “The reservation given to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and OBCs should remain intact at 50 per cent. There are many other castes who are also demanding reservation. Of the 50 per cent of the general category, 25 per cent reservation should be for these castes,” said Athawale at a press conference here.

He said: “The state government should increase the amount to promote inter-caste marriage from existing Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh. The Central government gives Rs 2.50 lakh to promote inter-caste marriages.

“There are 20,500 people still engaged in scavenging work in Jharkhand. There is a plan to provide Rs 50,000 assistance to each family involved in the scavenging work.” Besides, he said efforts are on to increase the reservation for “Divyangs” (differently abled) from existing four per cent to five per cent in government jobs.

“Our government is not anti-Dalit. The SC and ST Act has been formulated not for misuse but to help the people from SC/ST communities. The Act is also not against the upper castes.” Athawale said that efforts are being made to rename the Mumbai Central railway station as Baba Saheb Ambedkar Station. He also enumerated the work done by his government for the welfare of people.

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