New Delhi: Haryana government has moved to the Supreme Court, challenging the Punjab and Haryana high court order of staying the 75% reservation to locals in private sector jobs.

On Thursday, a division bench headed by Justice Ajay Tewari and justice Pankaj Jain, admitting multiple petitions against the implementation of the law - Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act, 2020, stay the operation of the act.

Chief Justice N.V. Ramana has agreed to list the SLP of the state government on placing the High Court order. Directed the registry to list the matter. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has appeared for the Haryana government.

The Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Acts 2020 was passed in November 2021 and came to effect on January 15. Many private companies have challenged the act and filed the writ petitions before the Punjab and Haryana high court.

Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said the government would fight for the 75% reservation. “We will continue to fight for employment opportunities of Haryanvi youth #75%reservation,” he said in a tweet after the high court stayed the act.

On January 15, 2022, the government notified the act, the law provides for 75% of new employment for local candidates having salary of less than ₹30,000 a month in various privately managed companies, societies, trusts, limited liability partnership firms, partnership firms etc.

Three industry associations from Gurugram, Faridabad and Rewari had sought judicial recourse. They had submitted that the new law went against constitutional provisions and the basic principle of merit underpinning the private sector growth.