In the midst of “crisis of governance” in the State following withdrawal of support by 16 MLAs to the coalition government, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy chaired a State Cabinet meeting on Thursday and took some significant decisions, including constitution of a commission for increasing reservation for Scheduled Tribes and financial incentives for potato and millet farmers for increasing crop areas.

The Cabinet has decided to set up a commission to study the demand for increasing quota for STs from the present 3% in jobs and education. The decision was taken following a long-pending demand by the community leaders in the State.

The Cabinet also took two decisions that will provide incentives to the farming community. With the potato crop area declining over the past few years, the Cabinet will give incentive of ₹15,000 a hectare for potato-growing farmers. But, the incentive was limited to maximum two hectares.

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Krishna Byre Gowda said ₹7,500 per hectare would be given to purchase seeds and another ₹7,500 for nutrition and plant protection measures per acre. A sum of ₹25.5 crore has been set aside for this. The crop is being cultivated in districts including Hassan, Tumakuru, Bengaluru Rural, Chickballapur, and Kolar.

It was decided to sanction ₹10 crore for increasing the area under minor millets cultivation. An incentive of ₹10,000 per hectare would be given to each farmer, fixing the maximum limit to two hectares.

It was decided that ₹375 crore would be allocated for modernisation of the right bank canal of Upper Krishna Project under stage II. Works would be taken up from a distance of 0-95 km of the canal. Total estimated cost of the work is ₹750 crore. The Cabinet will enhance the annual untied development grant to zilla panchayats from ₹4 crore to ₹8 crore depending on the population and geographical criteria. However, all zilla panchayats will get minimum ₹4 crore.

The aid for taluk panchayats has been hiked from ₹1 crore to ₹3 crore depending on the population and geographical area, while the minimum amount has been fixed at ₹2 crore per year, from the next fiscal, Mr. Gowda said.

An allocation of ₹29 crore was made for providing 90% subsidy under drip irrigation. The Cabinet will set up horticultural colleges in Alamela in Vijayapura and Somanahalli in Hassan district. A sum of ₹26 crore has been set aside for a guest house at Tirumala in Tirupathi for pilgrims.