Punjab Government has reserved 58 posts for the Scheduled Castes (SCs) in the advertisement issued for the appointment of Law Officers, while 178 posts are open for the General Category.

Responding to a Call Attention Notice in Punjab Assembly on behalf of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, who also holds the portfolio of Home Affairs and Justice, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Wednesday said that this is for the first time that such a reservation has been made.

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Cheema said he salutes the thinking of Sardar Bhagwant Singh Mann under whose leadership these posts were created some time ago but faced a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court due to some technical reasons.

He said now the advertisement has been issued again on 23 November for the appointment of all posts out of which 58 including 12 additional advocate general, five senior deputy advocate general, 16 deputy advocate general, 23 assistant advocate general and two advocate on record are reserved for SC candidates.

The Finance Minister said the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance ruled the state several times but despite the fact that state has more than 34 per cent population belonging to the Scheduled Castes categories, no government made reservations for lawyers belonging to SC category while appointing Law Officers.

“When I was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the first time, the Congress government of that time brought the first Bill regarding the appointment of Advocate General and I raised the first question in this holy House about the reservation in these posts. But at that time there was a government of Congress party, which I think has been cheating by taking votes in the name of Dalits for centuries,” Cheema added.

The Minister said this is the first government which has brought reservation for the children of the poor people of Punjab, who face many hardships while providing higher education to their children to become lawyers. He said within a few days these posts will be filled and these advocates will perform their duties in the High Court. “Today is a historic day for the Dalit community of Punjab,” he added.