BENGALURU: The Karnataka cabinet, at its meeting on Wednesday, is scheduled to take up the issue of increasing reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. This follows the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe Associations seeking implementation of the Nagmohan Das Committee report. Their plea is that SC reservation stands at 15 per cent and ST reservation at 3 per cent, and they are seeking to increase it, considering the increase in numbers of these two groups.
The other issue expected to figure at the cabinet meet is the processing of loans for ongoing water projects — Rs 500 crore under the Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam, two loans totalling Rs 900 crore under the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam for ratification, and another loan of Rs 250 crore under Visvesvaraya Jala Nigam Limited. The total loans to be ratified would come up to about Rs 1,650 crore.
In addition to this, the cabinet will look into a proposal to approve developmental works in poll-bound Belagavi area. Belgaum Lok Sabha seat is vacant after MP and minister Suresh Angadi passed away recently, and elections are to be held here shortly. The cabinet will take up approval of many development works with a package totalling Rs 23.63 crore.
The cabinet is also expected to discuss when the next legislature session is to be convened. It may be recalled that the previous meeting was cut short due to Covid, and the government was left embarrassed when its bills could not be passed in a shortened session in the Upper House. They will be seeking to pass it this time. They are also expected to approve certain agricultural services, and take up construction of a new vegetable market in Ballari.