Patel body 'Khodaldham Trust' favours reservation under EBC category

Ahmedabad: A body of Patels on Thursday came out in support of ongoing quota agitation saying their community should be given reservation under Economically Backward Class (EBC) category as most of the Patels in Gujarat are poor.

Reservation under special EBC quota is more practical than seeking inclusion of Patels under the existing OBC (Other Backward Class) quota, trustee of 'Khodaldham Trust' Dinesh Kumbhani told reporters here.

"60 per cent Patels (out of 70 lakh) in Gujarat are financially backward. We believe that justice should be done to those who are poor and needy. Our Trust always supported the demand of giving reservation to such Patels under EBC category," he said when asked if the trust supports reservation under OBC or EBC category.

According to Kumbhani, Khodaldham Trust always supported the agitation led by Hardik Patel and other quota leaders for getting reservation rights.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a press conference to announce the 'pran-pratishtha'(invoking deity into the idol) ceremony at the Khodaldham Temple, which is coming up near Kagvad village of Rajkot district, around 65 kms from Rajkot city.

According to Kumbhani, 70 per cent work of the grand temple has been finished so far. "It is being built at a cost of Rs 50 crore. It will be completed by January 2017. The pran-pratishtha ceremony will be held on January 21 next year. This temple is dedicated to Maa Khodiyar, deity of Leuva Patel community," added Kumbhani.

In the next phase, the Trust has planned to set up a private agriculture university in the same campus. The total budget for the entire temple complex, including the construction of university, is Rs 250 crore, said Kumbhani.

"This will be India's first private agriculture university. Since Patels are more into agriculture, we have decided to set up this university, which will be open for all communities. The university would be operational by 2019," added Kumbhani.