Reservation demands: Govt discussing modalities regarding way forward: CM

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government was discussing modalities on the way forward following demands by various communities in the state to revise the existing reservation, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Friday.

“I have discussed it at the cabinet meeting (on Thursday), all the Ministers have expressed their opinion, discussions are on regarding the way forward….how and what is to be done,” Yediyurappa told reporters in response to a question.

The state government is facing demands for revision of the existing quota from various communities, including the dominant Vokkaliga and Veerashaiva-Lingayat.

After the cabinet meeting on Thursday, Home and Law Minister Basavaraj Bommai had said that the Chief Minister took note of opinions expressed by various Ministers and suggested about the government taking suggestions from legal experts and also reviewing court orders in this regard.

Amid demands for better reservation, Yediyurappa had recently said his government would do whatever was possible within the ambit of the law and the Constitution.

The Veerashaiva-Lingayats, to which Yediyurappa belongs, are demanding OBC status under the central list, whereas the sub-sect of the community-Panchamasali Lingayats- wants to be put under Category 2A in the state quota.

The other dominant Vokkaliga community has decided to seek for enhancement of reservation, formation of a Vokkaliga Development Authority and greater quota access to the urban poor from the community.

They want all Vokkaliga sub-sects to be included under OBC.

On the other hand, while the backward Kuruba community is seeking ST tag, the Valmiki community wants ST quota to be hiked from 3 per cent to 7.5 per cent.

Karnataka at present provides 15 per cent reservation for SCs, 3 per cent for STs and 32 per cent for the other backward classes (OBC), which adds up to 50 per cent.