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Quota for SC/STs to be hiked, says CM Bommai after all-party meet
The decision comes after an all party meeting was convened on Friday in Bengaluru in which senior leaders from all major political outfits gave their consent to increase the reservation opportunities for marginalised sections.
Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said that a unanimous decision was taken to hike reservation for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) by 17% and 7% respectively.
“It has been unanimously decided to hike reservation for the Scheduled Castes from 15% to 17% and the Scheduled Tribes from 3% to 7%,” Bommai said in a statement on Friday.
The decision comes after an all party meeting was convened on Friday in Bengaluru in which senior leaders from all major political outfits gave their consent to increase the reservation opportunities for marginalised sections.
The all-party meeting was convened to discuss the Justice Nagamohan Das Committee report over the hike for quota for the SCs/STs on the basis of population which Bommai said was a “long-pending” demand.
The Bommai government has also called for a special cabinet meeting on Saturday morning to discuss all recommendations and issue a final notification.
“The aspirations of all communities and religions have increased. There is a feeling that within the SCs/STs justice has not been done to many. In the wake of this, it has been decided to study the reports of all the commissions and to make a good decision. In the coming days, decisions regarding internal reservation among the SCs/STs will be taken in due consultation with experts and leaders of all parties, and also to ensure no injustice is done to the society. The government will take a suitable decision on reservation for the backward classes on the basis of reports and do justice for those people,” Bommai said.
The decision comes months before the 2023 assembly elections in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will look to retain office and thwart off any challenge by the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S).
The move is also likely to revive demands by other caste groups like the Panchamasali, Vokkaliga and Kurubas who have been seeking better reservation classifications for their respective groups.
Bommai said the decisions will not reduce the quantum of reservation.
“There is 50% reservation in the state and the quantum of reservation will not reduce for the SC,ST, category 1, 2A and 2B. This reservation is given for above 50% quota and the same has been underlined by Justice Nagamohan Das Committee and told by the government too. It has been decided to give 10% reservation for the economically backward communities which do not have reservation as per law. But this has been challenged in the Supreme Court and a verdict is awaited,” he said.
The Congress too had demanded better reservation opportunities to SC/STs, a large section of whom have been backers of the party in recent elections.
