In a notification on December 21, the State’s Personnel Department said the EWS quota in direct recruitment in the posts and services of the Assam government has been put on hold until further order.
“The pause in the EWS job quota will not affect the posts already advertised for and reservation for the category will continue for admissions in the educational institutions,” the notification said.
The notification was issued a month after the Supreme Court upheld the Constitutional validity of 10% quota for the “poorest of poor” among the forward castes.
Senior Congress MLA and Leader of the Opposition, Debabrata Saikia criticised the government’s decision, terming it a cost-cutting measure because of a financial crisis brought upon by extravagant expenditure on several projects and schemes.
“The decision to deal a blow to the economically weaker sections is against the government’s promise to provide 1 lakh employment for Assam’s youth,” All India United Democratic Front MLA, Aminul Islam said.
Assam was among 12 States and Union Territories that implemented 10% job reservation to the EWS. The others are Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Telangana and Uttarakhand.