Haryana govt to move SC against high court's quashing of quota in pvt jobs

The Haryana government is set to move the Supreme Court after the Punjab and Haryana High Court invalidated a law that mandated a 75 per cent reservation in private sector jobs for residents of the state.

Deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, face of the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) in a statement on Saturday revealed the government's intention to challenge the high court verdict, stating, "We are examining the high court verdict and will soon move the Supreme Court."

The setback is particularly significant for Chautala as the 75 per cent job reservation pledge in the private sector for local candidates was a pivotal electoral promise of the JJP during the 2019 assembly polls.

The deputy chief minister said that the goal of the law was to generate employment opportunities for local youth and supply skilled workers to the industry.

However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, in an 83-page judgement on Friday, deemed the Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act, 2020, "ultra vires" and "unconstitutional", rendering it ineffective from its inception.

The court's ruling followed multiple petitions from various industrial associations opposing the implementation of the Act.

The legislation, which became effective on 15 January 2022, mandated a 75 per cent job reservation in the private sector for state residents, specifically covering positions with a maximum gross monthly salary or wages up to Rs 30,000.

The Act's scope extended to employers in private sector entities, including companies, societies, trusts, limited liability partnership firms, partnership firms, and any individual employing 10 or more people on salary, wages, or other remuneration for manufacturing, business operations, or service provision in Haryana.

Experts believe the Supreme Court's decision will have implications for state-driven reservation in job in the private sector.