SC Ministers to impress upon K'taka CM to give nod to panel report on internal quota

Bengaluru, Nov 7 (PTI) Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said he and other Ministers belonging to SC community will impress upon Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to clear the A J Sadashiva Commission report on internal reservation and place it before the legislature during the upcoming session in Belagavi, after due deliberations.

Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa said a decision has to be taken within the framework of law and Constitution after due deliberations with the law department and concerned Ministers, while pointing out that the previous BJP government had rejected the commission report, and also the Supreme Court constituted a seven member constitution bench regarding internal reservation.

Both Ministers were responding to Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa call to members of Adi Jambava (Madiga) community to launch a statewide agitation demanding implementation of Sadashiva commission report.

Addressing a meeting of the Adi Jambava cultural committee on Monday, Muniyappa had asked the community members to take an aggressive stand and called on them to go to the houses of each MLA and Ministers exerting pressure on the government to implement the report.

A section of SC community has been demanding internal reservation alleging that only a few influential sub-castes were taking away a majority of the benefits while many communities were still marginalised.

"On the issue of internal reservation -- during our SC/ST convention in Chitradurga ahead of Assembly polls, we (Congress) had adopted a Chitradurga declaration with ten points, in that we had promised to table the Sadashiva commission report on internal reservation in the first session itself, on coming to power, but due to various reasons it did not happen," Parameshwara told reporters here.

Noting that it has already brought it to the notice of the Chief Minister about tabling it during the second session that is scheduled to take place in Belagavi, he said, "Myself and Ministers -- Mahadevappa, Muniyappa, Priyank Kharge -- have brought it to the notice of the CM. The CM has said that he will decide after discussion with leaders of these communities. We will do it."

Asked whether there are doubts within the Congress about the government implementing internal reservation, as Muniyappa has called for an agitation demanding it, Parameshwara ruled out any difference of opinion within the government on the issue.

"Nothing like that, only that it should be discussed -- as everyone's opinion has to be taken into account, and all minds have to come together. So, the CM said, let's decide after discussing with everyone," he said.

The Justice A J Sadashiva Inquiry Commission, which looked into methods of equitable distribution of reservation facilities among SCs has, in its report submitted to the government in 2012, recommended internal reservation among the castes by broadly reclassifying all the 101 castes into four groups (Right, Left, Touchables and other SCs).

Pointing out that the implementation of Sadashiva commission report is a long standing demand aimed at protecting the interest of all groups within the SC community, Mahadevappa said the previous BJP government had rejected the report, while the Apex Court has constituted a seven member constitution bench regarding internal reservation.

Since the constitution bench has been constituted, he said taking into account the ambit of law, a discussion has to take place between all Ministers from SC communities and the Chief Minister, regarding what can be done within the framework of Constitution and law.

"While we (Congress) had promised to table the report, the previous BJP government had rejected the report. So it has to be discussed with the law department regarding bringing back the report that has been rejected, we will have to consult the Advocate General," the Minister added.

Just ahead of the assembly polls, the previous BJP government's cabinet had taken a decision on internal reservation, by recommending to central government a 6 per cent internal quota for SC (Left), 5.5 per cent for SC (Right), 4.5 per cent for touchables (Banjara/Lambani, Bhovi, Korcha, Kuruma etc) and 1 per cent for others.

The then Law Minister J C Madhuswamy had clarified that the government had 'rejected' the Sadashiva Commission's report on internal reservation for Scheduled Castes, as he also highlighted that the Lambanis have been given a bigger share.

The Sadashiva report sought 6 per cent to the SC (Left), 5 per cent for SC (Right), 3 per cent for touchables (Lambani, Bhovi, Korama, Koracha) and 1 per cent for others.