Karnataka: EWS quota proposal likely before cabinet next week

BENGALURU: The Karnataka government has readied a proposal for implementing reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) in the state and is likely to place it before the cabinet next week. The central government rolled out a 10% quota — targeting the disadvantaged in upper castes — in January last year through a Constitutional amendment bill and left it to states to take a call.

Sources in the government said the proposal to implement EWS quota has been finalised and chief secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar has asked the secretary for backward classes department to place it before the cabinet for approval.
BSY is keen on implementing EWS quota, but hurdles remain
Chief minister BS Yediyurappa is said to be keen on rolling out the quota — a move that will go down well with the BJP central leadership as the bill was one of PM Narendra Modi’s pre-poll launches in 2019. The quota is aimed at ensuring government jobs and admissions in educational institutions to poor families from upper caste communities whose annual income is below Rs 8 lakh.
In Karnataka, the quota will benefit Brahmins, Vaisyas, Jains, Mudaliyars and Nairs, among other communities, although the quantum is likely to be less than 10%, considering their proportion in the state’s population.
Sources, however, pointed out that there are several hurdles though the CM would want to use the bill to make good his relationship with the party brass ahead of a cabinet expansion. For starters, they said, Yediyurappa is under pressure from leaders of scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST) to hike the quota, as recommended by the Justice HN Nagamohan Das commission. The commission, which looked at increasing reservation for SC & ST communities, submitted its report in July. It has reportedly recommended hiking the quota from 15% to 17% for SCs, and 3% to 7.5% for STs.
“We are awaiting the Covid-19 cloud to clear to push for implementation of the Nagmohan Das commission report. The same applies to EWS quota and I hope everything will fall in place,” said health minister B Sriramulu, who has been spearheading the fight for the ST quota.
Sources said Yediyurappa is also facing demands from the Karnataka State Brahmin Development Board (KSBDB), which he inaugurated recently. The government has already directed deputy commissioners and tahsildhars to issue caste and income certificates to Brahmins to enable them to claim the EWS quota.
HS Sachchidananda, chairman of KSBDB, said he is hopeful the cabinet will approve the EWS quota proposal at the next meeting. “We are convinced that the chief minister is in favour of the EWS quota and I don’t see any reason for further delay for its implementation.”