During his Independence Day address at the Police Parade Ground in Raipur, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel announced that his government had decided to hike the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Scheduled Castes (SC) quotas in the state, reports PTI.

After he unfurled the tricolour, Baghel asserted that considering how backward communities had raised their concerns peacefully, the government was obligated to help safeguard their constitutional rights.

"Taking a major step in this direction, today I announce that now 27 per cent reservation will be provided to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), 13 per cent to the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 32 per cent to the Scheduled Tribes (STs)," he stated.

Previously, OBC reservation in the state was 14 per cent, while for the SC category it was 12 per cent. The ST quota was at the same level earlier as well.

Just last month, Madhya Pradesh, which is also being ruled by a Congress government, had passed a bill hiking its OBC quota from 14 per cent to 27 per cent.