Minorities moved to EWS quota, 4 pc divided between Lingayats, Vokkaligas

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s Cabinet, which met on Friday late afternoon, perhaps for the last time before the Assembly elections are announced, has given its approval to increasing the reservation for SCs, STs, Vokkaligas and Panchamasali Lingayats while also providing internal reservation.

While the reservation for Scheduled Castes was raised to 17 per cent from 15 per cent, the SC-Left (Madiga, Adi Dravida, Bambi and other such castes) will now get 6 per cent internal reservation, SC-Right (Holeya, Adi Karnataka, Chalavadi and other) 5.5 per cent, Touchables (Banjara, Bhovi, Koracha, Korama) 4.5 per cent and Other (nomadic, semi-nomadic, etc.) will get 1 per cent reservation.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who briefed the media after the Cabinet meeting, said the aspirations of all communities have increased and they want access to education and jobs. “We have already sent the proposal to include the higher reservation in the 9th Schedule”, he said.

Regarding, Backward Classes, the CM pointed out that the list should be reviewed every 10 years, but had not been done for the last 20 years. Based on the recommendation of the Backward Classes Commission, the 4 per cent reservation for minorities under OBC category will be scrapped and they will be moved to the larger pool of 10 per cent EWS quota. The 4 per cent quota of the Muslims will be given to Vokkaligas (2 per cent) and Lingayats (2 per cent), the CM said. He also pointed out that the reservation is caste-based and not religion based.

For Vokkaligas and Others, and Panchamasali Lingayats and Others under 3A and 3B categories, the reservation will rise from 4 per cent to 6 per cent and from 5 per cent to 7 per cent, respectively. A recommendation has also been sent to the Centre to include Kadu Kurubas and Gond Kurubas under the Scheduled Tribe list, the CM said.

Ministers Araga Jnanendra, J C Madhuswamy, Dr K Sudhakar, Govind Karjol, C C Patil, Murugesh Nirani, Shankar Patil Munenakoppa, Shivaram Hebbar and other officials were present.