Gandhinagar: Gujarat Government today made formal announcements about the steps taken by it in the light of the recent discussions with the representatives of Patidar Community to reach a resolution to their agitaion and informed about the appointment of retired Judge of Gujarat High Court Justice K A Punj as the chairman of the two member inquiry commission to look in to the complaints of alleged police atrocities during Patidar quota stir of 2015.

The Government also made announcements about the commission and corporations for non-reserved categories and said that the process to take back the remaining cases lodged during Patidar agitation which fall under the jurisdiction of the state government has been started.

It however said that the sedition cases lodged against Hardik Patel and others did not fall under state government’s jurisdiction for withdrawal yet the government may recommend for it too if such violent incidents did not take place in the future.

Addressing a press conference here minister of state for home Pradipsinh Jadeja said that the inquiry commission led by Justice (retired) Kunj would have retired district Judge Mahendra Shah as its member. The commission constituted as per the commission of inquiry act has been asked to given its report within six months. It would have its headquarter at Gandhinagar and would look in to all the complaints of atrocities across the state during the quota stir.

He said that the state government had decided to constitute a commission for non-reserved categories in Gujarat which would conduct surveys about the economic and social status of the economically backward classes of around 58 such castes. It would also study various welfare schemes for such categories in other states and union territories and based on it make schemes for Gujarat and put it before the government. The Chairman and Vice Chairman of this commission would be such persons who have in-depth knowledge of the social and economical aspects of such categories.

Jadeja said that similarly the Non-reserved category educational and economical development corporation would also have such people as its Chairman and Vice Chairman. It would also have four members and a secretary and a member secretary. It would have an initial fund of Rs 600 crores and would work for various welfare schemes and employment opportunities along with skill development. All the around 58 non reserved castes would benefit from its schemes and other initiatives like arranging for cheap loan for cattle growers, farmers and youths among others. The commission and the corporation would ensure that the people of non-reserved castes did not slide downward on the ladder of development and prosperity.

Taking about the withdrawal of case Jadeja said that there were total 439 cases lodged during the Patidar agitation of which 109 have already been withdrawn (29 on February 12, 26 on March 5 and 54 on July 30). The government has also started the process to withdraw the remaining ones which falls under its jurisdiction.

Jadeja said that CM Vijay Rupani had considered the four main issues discussed and agreed upon in the meeting between leaders of Patidar community and Deputy CM Nitin Patel last month and accordingly the process with regard to them was started quickly.

To a query he said that the various formalities pertaining to resolution of the issues would be completed before the implementation of model code of conduct in the wake of the assembly election. ‘So even after the announcement of election, there won’t be any hurdle in taking them further,’ he claimed.

DeshGujarat