The Haryana government has announced 10 percent reservation in some specific jobs for Agniveers. Haryana Chief Minister Naib Saini said that this horizontal reservation will be applicable to the direct recruitment of constables, mining guards, forest guards, jail warden and special police officers (SPOs) in State of Haryana.
Chief Minister Naib Saini, in a press conference at his residence on Wednesday, announced reservation in jobs in civil services in the state to soldiers those were recruited under the Agneepath scheme and those who will return from the army after serving for four years. This reservation includes a 10 percent horizontal quota for Agniveers in the posts of constable, mining guard, forest guard, jail warden and SPO.
Apart from this, there will be a relaxation of three years in the maximum age limit for jobs in group B and C and five years for the first batch of Agniveers. There is 5 percent horizontal reservation for Group C civil posts and 1 percent reservation for Group B jobs. Industrial units paying more than Rs 30,000 per month to Agniveers will get a subsidy of Rs 60,000 annually from the state. Apart from this, if Agniveers want to start a business, they will be eligible for a loan of Rs 5 lakh.
CM Saini said that our government has decided to allocate a quota for these youth (Agniveers) after they complete their four years in the army. This decision of the Haryana government comes after the chiefs of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF crpf) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) said last week that in line with a decision of the Union Home Ministry, 10 per cent of the posts of soldiers in their respective forces will be reserved for former Agniveers.
At that time, a Defence Ministry official had told the media that former Agniveers will not need to go through any physical test at the time of recruitment in the paramilitary forces. Instead, they will just have to submit a physical fitness certificate. The chiefs of various paramilitary forces had said that former Agniveers will also get the benefit of relaxation in the maximum age of recruitment.
Controversy over Agnipath scheme:
The announcement comes amid a fresh controversy over the Agnipath scheme that has arisen over the past month. The Congress party has criticised the scheme and called it ‘discarded labour’. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh responded that the Agnipath recruitment scheme was prepared after taking inputs from 158 organisations and after thorough deliberations.
Congress leader from Haryana Deepender Hooda has been vocal against the scheme. He said that it is not beneficial for the youth or the country. Hooda alleged that earlier around 5,500 youth were permanently recruited in the army every year in Haryana, but now only 900 Agniveers are being recruited, while only 225 are expected to get permanent posting. .
