With Karnataka state Assembly elections slated for 2018, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is all set to extend benefits for the backward communities.
Addressing a rally of the Madiga community at Bengaluru on Sunday, the CM said that the existing cap on reservation must be increased to 70%, media reports said.
The CM said that the government would explore legal options and pressure the Centre to get the Supreme Court order relaxed, citing that Tamil Nadu has reservation up to 69%, the Times of India reported.
Siddaramaiah said that despite existing reservation, the Dalits and Madiga communities have not benefitted as much as other backward communities, TOI report added.
The CM also assured the people that the issue would be discussed at the next Cabinet meeting and a decision would be taken to implement recommendations on internal reservation among Dalits made by the AJ Sadashiva panel, keeping in mind the caste census report. The Social Welfare Minister H Anjeneya has been asked to notify the Cabinet regarding the issue, the Deccan Herald reported.
Opposition Leader, Jagadish Shettar said that the BJP would offer its complete support for increasing the reservation cap and that BJP was the party advocating the change in reservation based on community strength. Shettar also assured that the party would support the Sadashiva panel recommendations, a Deccan Chronicle report said.
Former Union minister KH Muniyappa has requested Siddaramaiah to set up a separate corporation for the development of the Madiga community, the DC report said.
According to DC, when the crowd became insistent on the CM making a concrete announcement on the issue, Siddaramaiah said that after looking into both the Cabinet and the caste census report, suitable action would be taken.
The move for increasing reservation in education and employment from the existing 50% to 70% was suggested by the CM on November 30 right after the BJP conducted an OBC rally in Bengaluru.
The report of the socio-economic and educational census, conducted by the Karnataka Backward Classes Commission, is expected to be submitted to the state government by January, TNM had reported.