Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Monday announced that his government will implement quotas for the economically-backwards among the unreserved category after getting a legal opinion about the appropriate modalities.

Kumar said legal opinion was being sought as to whether the new quotas, which have been introduced through a recent constitutional amendment and are in addition to the existing reservations, could be brought about in the state through an executive order or an Act passed in the legislature.

The JD(U) national president also said we are bound by the Supreme Court judgement, which has placed a cap of 50 per cent on the quotas for the socially and educationally backward, but added that he supported the demand for raising the limit to make reservations proportionate to the population of the respective caste groups.

Kumar was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of his weekly 'Lok Samvad' (public interaction) programme here

"But opposition parties which are raising the demand have no idea on how to go about it. In my view, there should be a fresh census wherein the respective populations of social segments like SCs, STs and OBCs are taken into account. Based on its report, the nation can move towards ensuring proportional representation for the various castes," 

When asked if he has a big coalition in Lok Samvad' (public interaction), what do they have to say on that? Nitish had an answer on this that he had organized this alliance during Bihar assembly elections. However, when the Samajwadi Party and the Congress had settled in Uttar Pradesh, then Nitish Kumar, who was then the leader of Bihar's coalition alliance, had said that unless the agreement of the BSP and Samajwadi Party will not be there, the alliance will not be there.

Talking about his own party (JDU) in defeat, Nitish said that which party will contest on which seat by the end of next month and who will be the candidate, it will be decided.