Increase reservation under category 1 to 7%, govt. urged

Members of the Karnataka Legislative Council cutting across party lines on Friday urged the State government to take steps to increase the reservation for the most backward communities under category 1 to 7% from the present 4%.

Raising the issue under Rule 330, BJP member Talawar Sabanna said that despite being the most backward communities, those under category 1 had been deprived of their rightful share of reservation.

Reduced quantum

Mr. Sabanna said that initially the reservation for castes under category 1 was fixed at 5% as per recommendations of the first permanent backward classes commission, but it was subsequently reduced to 4% in 1994. “Many of the most backward communities have not got even an attender’s post. Our only demand is that based on our population, the reservation under category 1 should be increased to 7%,” he said.

Replying to the question, Social Welfare Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, however, expressed the government’s inability to increase the reservation because of the Supreme Court ruling on 50% ceiling on reservation.

Intervening in the discussion, Congress member D.T. Srinivas expressed dismay over the injustice meted out to the most backward classes. He said, “There were 52 castes under category 1 when 5% reservation was given. But later it was increased to 95 castes but reservation reduced to 4%.” He concurred with Mr. Sabanna’s demand to increase the reservation and demanded that a caste census should be conducted in the State as it would provide the empirical data required to take further steps.

In IX Schedule

Senior Congress member B.K. Hariprasad concurred with Mr. Sabanna and said that the 50% ceiling on reservation by the Supreme Court was not a verdict, but an observation. He urged the Minister to convince the Chief Minister to increase the reservation and include it in the IX Schedule of the Constitutionlike what the Tamil Nadu government had done to increase reservation beyond 50%. Cutting across party lines, members including Nagaraj Yadav, Ravikumar, and Thippeswamy spoke in favour of increasing the reservation.

Replying on the issue, Mr. Tangadagi pointed out that the H. Kantharaj Commission report had been received by the government. He assured the House that he would take up the issue with the Chief Minister to take further steps and requested time as it involved various issues.