In a setback to agitating Gujjars, the Rajasthan High Court today held that members of the community could not be given special reservation in government jobs. A division bench of Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Mahesh Bhagwati held that Gujjars cannot be given special reservation and an act of 2008 has no substratum of quantifiable data that could justify the reservation. The move to provide reservation by government could not, therefore, be acted upon, the judges said.The court also directed the state government to carry out an exercise within a year to establish the backwardness of Gujjars, Raikas, Raibari and Gadiya Lohar communities in the fields of education and government employment. Gujjars have been agitating for the last two days in support of their demands, including quota in jobs. The Ashok Gehlot government has said it is ready for talks to end the impasse. The High Court had earlier stayed the quota as it was exceeding the 50 per cent limit. Rail and road traffic was disrupted in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district due to the Gujjar stir. The agitation which began in 2007 has claimed over 70 lives so far. A year ago, Gujjars in Rajasthan fought police and members of another caste that already qualified for job reservations. After the protests, the State government said it would spend Rs 2.8 billion on improving schools, clinics, roads and other infrastructure in Gujjar areas. But Gujjars rejected this option.
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