Karnataka team meets Prez seeking assent to bill for SC/ST

New Delhi/Bengaluru: A Karnataka delegation led by Social Justice Minister H Anjaneya urged President Pranab Mukherjee to give nod to a bill passed by the state legislature to provide reservation for tender works worth up to Rs 50 lakh to members of SC and ST communities. 

The Congress-ruled state passed the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (Amendment) Bill in both houses of the legislature in September, 2016.

“The amendment bill was placed before the Governor for his assent. But he had reserved the bill for consideration of the President of India. We met the President to seek early approval of the amendments in the interest of SC/STs,” Anjaneya, the minister of social justice and backward classes, told reporters after the meeting. 

The amendments were made by the state to provide employment opportunities to unemployed youths in Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities, he said. 

“The early approval would go a long way to help SC and ST youths participate in the procurement of works and goods and services of the state government,” he added. 

Karnataka MPs K H Muniyappa, R Dhruvanarayana, B N Chandrappa, B V Nayak and senior officials of the Karnataka SC, ST contractors association were part of the delegation.