BENGALURU: The state government is open to increasing the reservation to SC/STs and other backward classes and go beyond the limit of 50 per cent. The government is seeking a legal opinion to find out if there is a provision in the Indira Sahani verdict to increase the threshold of 50 per cent, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, some MLAs in the Assembly raised the issue of increasing the quota for SC/STs and other backward classes. Replying, the chief minister said there is a demand to increase the Scheduled Tribe quota to 7.5 per cent. Earlier when the state government tried a similar exercise, the quota exceeded the stipulated 50 per cent, and the Supreme Court had rejected it.
Later, the Justice Nagamohan Committee was constituted to look into the issue. In 2020, the committee submitted its final report recommending an increase in the reservation for SCs from the existing 15 per cent to 17 per cent and for STs from 3 per cent to 7.5 per cent.
Bommai said that many organisations and communities are demanding a change in their quota status -- from 2A to Schedule Tribe and from 3B to 2A. The Union government, too, has sought the opinion of various states in increasing the quota. “We have informed the Centre that as the population has increased, the quota too should go up beyond 50 per cent. The Nagmohan Das commission has also recommended it. We have constituted the Justice Subhash Adi Committee to look into demands of various organisations which have demanded a change in their quota status,” Bommai said.
When Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah pointed out that the Indra Sawhney judgement had limited reservation to 50 per cent, Bommai said he has written to the advocate general to look into special circumstances, through which they can go over the 50 per cent threshold.
The government has also asked the Justice Adi committee to submit an interim report. “We will place these proposals before the all-party meeting and take it forward. We want to go beyond 50 per cent reservation, but do it as per the Constitution. If needed, we will go to both Houses,” he added.