Haryana approaches Supreme Court over stay on private job quota
The government of Haryana has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court of India, challenging the stay on a law providing job reservations to local residents. On Thursday, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had put the controversial law on hold. Now, a top court bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana, has agreed to hear the matter on Monday (February 7).
- The High Court's order had come as a setback to the BJP-JJP government in Haryana, for which providing private job quota to locals was a key poll promise.
- The state government had allowed as much as 75% reservation in private jobs for local residents but the move met with criticism from some sections.
- An industrial association had moved the High Court against the law.
On behalf of the Haryana government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta filed the appeal in the Supreme Court. In the plea, the government argued that the High Court passed the order after a hearing lasting less than two minutes. It has termed the High Court's decision unsustainable and against natural justice, requesting the SC to reverse it.
In its order on Thursday, a High Court bench of Justice Ajay Tewari and Justice Pankaj Jain granted an interim stay on the law. The order came on a petition filed by the Faridabad Industries Association and other trade associations from Haryana. The petitioners had said the law was arbitrary and violated several articles of the Indian constitution.
The law in question, the Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act, 2020, had come into effect from January this year. The law was applicable to all private sector jobs that offer a salary of less than Rs. 30,000 per month. It would apply to all companies, societies, trusts, partnership firms, and other private entities, according to the state government.
Reacting to Thursday's order, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar told reporters, "The High Court has granted stay, but we will fight the case strongly." Earlier on Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister and JJP leader Dushyant Singh Chautala had said in a Twitter post, "We will continue to fight for employment opportunities of Haryanvi youth #75%reservation (sic)."
