BJP leader C P Thakur expresses dissenting opinion on

Patna: Senior BJP leader C P Thakur today questioned the decision by the NDA government in Bihar to introduce reservation in outsourced services, saying this may lead to public resentment and a drop in investment in the state.

“I think there was no need to introduce reservation in outsourced services. There is already scope for better implementation of the reservation system in sectors where the quota system is in place”, Thakur, former Union minister and ex-Bihar BJP president, said expressing dissenting opinion.

“What the government needs to do is to pay more attention to spread of education among the socially backward classes. Introducing reservations in a new sector may make a section of the society feel that the space available to it is shrinking. This may lead to public resentment that may become difficult to handle”, Thakur, who is a BJP Rajya Sabha member, added.

“The decision could send a rather unfavourable message outside Bihar. Investors from outside the state may get discouraged by this to put their money in Bihar”, he said.

Meanwhile, reacting to Thakur’s comment, Janata Dal (United) state spokesman Neeraj Kumar said “if Thakur has strong views on the matter, he should raise his voice on his own party forum. The decision to introduce reservation in outsourced services was taken by the Nitish Kumar government, of which BJP is a part”.

Former Chief Minister and leader of the Hindustan Awam Morcha – an NDA constituent in Bihar – Jitan Ram Manjhi said “the views expressed by Thakur appear to be personal and not of the party to which he belongs. We need not pay much heed to it”.

At a meeting of the state cabinet chaired by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar yesterday, nod was given to introduce reservation in outsourced contractual appointment made by the state government.