Haryana govt passes Bill allowing 75% reservation for locals in private jobs

Haryana Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya has given assent to the Bill providing 75% reservation in the private sector to job seekers from the state, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said today.

The Haryana Assembly had late last year passed the Bill, a key poll promise made by the ruling alliance partner Jannayak Janta Party.

"The Haryana Governor today gave his assent to the Bill entailing 75 per cent reservation in the private sector to job seekers from the state. The government will notify it soon," the Manohar Lal Khattartold reporters at a press conference.

The Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Bill, 2020 provides quota for local people in private sector jobs that offer a salary of less than ₹50,000 a month.

Only 10 per cent of the recruitment by a company needs to be from the district in which it is located – the rest of the quota can be filled from other districts in the state.

The quota will initially apply for 10 years, according to the bill which now needs the assent of the state Governor to become law.

Apart from tackling unemployment among local people, the state government suggested that the law will discourage the influx of migrants seeking low-paid jobs, which has a “significant impact” on local infrastructure and leads to the “proliferation of slums”.

The bill covers private companies, societies, trusts and partnership firms, among others, in the state. It provides for training to eligible local candidates when qualified people are not available.

It defines local candidates as those domiciled in the state. For the domicile status, a person should be born in Haryana or have lived there for at least 15 years.

Giving 75 per cent reservation in private sector jobs was a key poll promise by Dushyant Chautala's JJP, which is the BJP's coalition partner in the state.

Chautala described the assent given by the Governor as "happiest moment for the youth of Haryana."

"The rules on this new law will be framed soon and published," he said at Faridabad.

Earlier, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the bill would go a long way in providing employment to local youth.

A statement on the objectives of the proposed law said it will encourage all private employers in Haryana to boost local employment.

“The influx of a large number of migrants competing for low-paid jobs places a significant impact on local infrastructure and housing and leads to the proliferation of slums,” it said.

It leads to environment and health issues which are acutely felt in the state’s urban areas, affecting livelihood and the quality of life, the bill said.

“Therefore giving preference to local candidates in low-paid jobs is socially, economically and environmentally desirable and any such preference would be in the interest of the general public,” it said.