Dhami govt offers sops to Agniveers, toughens anti-conversion law

In a significant move, the Uttarakhand government has decided to reserve 10 per cent jobs for Agniveer defence personnel in the state.

The state government has also decided to increase punishment under anti-religious conversion law from the maximum of 10 years imprisonment to 20 years or even life imprisonment and a fine of ₹50,000 to one lakh.

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The Pushkar Singh Dhami cabinet on Wednesday decided to give 10 per cent horizontal reservation for agniveers in contractual positions in government jobs. The decision came at the time when the first batch of Agniveer defence personnel completed its service tenure and returned to their homes. This coincides with Dhami government’s plan to fill 850 posts in various departments by Agniveers on contract.

The posts identified for accommodating agniveers are in Group C category, including constables and sub inspectors in fire and civil police, Jail Police, Forest Guard, patwari in revenue department, excise and state transport departments.

As the Uttarakhand Cabinet gave a go-ahead to 26 proposals brought before it, most of them were pertaining either to agniveers or its Anti-Conversion law enacted in 2023.

The state cabinet approved amendments to make the anti-conversion law harsher. According to the cabinet decision, punishment under anti conversion law has been increased from earlier 10 years to 14 years, with a possibility of up to 20 years in some cases. At the same time a fine amount to be imposed against guilt under the law has been raised from current ₹50,000 to staggeringly high ₹10 lakh.

Officials in the Home Department informed that the Dhami cabinet has also amended and broadened the scope of definitions of several terminologies mentioned in the Anti-Conversion act. “This will help the enforcement agencies to identify the guilty persons or agencies engaged in illegal religious conversions easily and bring them to justice,” said an official on condition of anonymity as these cabinet decisions could not be made public immediately prior to the coming assembly session.

However, the cabinet decisions will be subject to the ratification of the state legislature. The Cabinet approved ammendments will be tabled in the house in the coming assembly session at state’s summer cabinet Gairsain.