Bihar announces reservation in farmer co-op body elections

Patna Nov 17 (IANS) Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Friday announced reservation in elections to the more than 500 Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) of farmers in rural areas of the state.

The reservation was necessary to provide an opportunity to the weaker sections to ensure their representation on the cooperative bodies he said at a function here.

Soon after Sushil Kumar Modi s announcement on reservation a few persons protested and voiced their opposition to the move.

However the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader downplayed the protest and made it clear that his party was in favour of this reservation.

Earlier this month the Bihar government had also decided to provide reservation in contract appointments made through outsourcing.

Some senior BJP leaders had publicly opposed it and BJP Yuva Manch workers took out a protest march and shouted slogans against Sushil Kumar Modi for supporting reservation in contract appointments.

Later Chief Minister Nitish Kumar demanded reservation in the private sector too.

--IANS
ik/tsb/dg