Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday sparked a fresh row, saying he is in favour of 50 percent reservation for backward classes in private sector jobs.

"It's my opinion that there must be a reservation in private sector too. There must be a debate on this at the national level," said the Janata Dal-United leader.

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Presently, the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Class (OBCs) and physically handicapped persons are entitled to reservation in educational institutions and government jobs.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Hukumdev Narayan opined that Nitish's demand was "correct". "This must be debated on the national level. I want to congratulate Nitish ji for raising this issue," said Narayan.

CM Nitish Kumar also defended his government's decision to introduce reservation in outsourced services and said those criticising it has "very little understanding" of the issue.

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He asserted that the provision, which some ruling alliance leaders have also found fault with, was brought in accordance with the Bihar Reservation Act 2003.

As per the act, Kumar said, if the government hires somebody for its work even if through an outsourcing company, and pays salary from its coffers, then the quota system prevailing in the state will apply.

"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," he said. "But, in case of outsourced services availed of by the government, the rules will be obviously different."

"People who are raising a hue and cry over the issue have very little understanding," he said.

Speaking on the sidelines of his weekly 'Lok Samvad' (public interaction) programme at his 1 Anne Marg residence, he also dismissed charges that the proposal, cleared by the cabinet last week, was an attempt to introduce reservation in private sector through back door.

He, however, said "we in principle" favour reservation in private sector too. "But, for that Parliament has to take initiative in accordance with provisions of the Constitution."

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He also said he did not believe in "too much outsourcing" as "often outsourced employees form their own associations to press the demand for regularisation".

"But when it is not possible, outsourcing must not become an excuse to deprive employees of reservation benefits," he added.

Former speaker of state Assembly and senior JD(U) leader Uday Narayan Choudhary has spoken against the decision.

Choudhary, who has launched a non-political forum, Vanchit Varg Morcha, is organising a discussion on the reservation on November 10 here during which former Union minister Yashwant Sinha will be a key speaker.

Sinha has been critical of present NDA government's economic policy.

BJP Rajya Sabha member CP Thakur had last week questioned the decision, saying it may lead to public resentment and a drop in investment in the state.

Kumar today said, "I would like to remind everybody that this is not the first experiment of its kind that we have undertaken in Bihar."

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, he said.

Reservation benefits to outsourced employees will be on the same lines as to the regular ones wherein quotas have been earmarked for SCs, STs, OBCs, women etc, he said.

"Then there is also horizontal reservation - for Divyangs (physically handicapped) or children of ex-servicemen."

On November 01, the Bihar Cabinet approved a proposal to introduce reservations in all services being provided in the state by way of outsourcing.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi had on November 03 said the BJP was "fully in favour of reservations in outsourced services".

"The BJP is fully in favour of reservations in outsourced services. The decision has been taken unanimously by the BJP- JD(U) government. Payments are made to those working in outsourced services by the government. Hence, we will see to it that the quota system is strictly enforced," he had said in a statement.

Sushil Modi had also made it clear that "the BJP has never been in favour of introducing a creamy layer in the reservations for SCs and STs. Rather, the BJP government at the Centre has raised the limit for the creamy layer for even the OBCs from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh, so that a greater number of those belonging to the backward classes could avail of the benefits".

(With Agency inputs)