BENGALURU: In an effort to woo the backward classes, Leader of opposition Siddaramaiah promised the SC Bhovi community that if the Congress comes back to power it will accept the caste survey conducted by the backward classes commission.
“When I was the CM, the commission had done the socio-economic survey at an estimated cost of Rs 162 crore. The successive governments have not accepted it yet. If we come back to power, we will accept it,” he said at the Bhovi community convention held at Bannerghatta.
The community has backed him in all the elections, he said, and added that he had set up the Bhovi Development Corporation. Pushing his point of Aryan-Dravidian origin, he said, “When I revealed this fact, I was branded as anti-Hindu and anti-RSS but one should speak out in a strongly,” he asserted.
Commending the Nalwadi Krishnaraj Wadiyar’s contribution of implementing the quota for the backward classes as early as 1917, amid opposition from the Mysuru empire’s then Dewan, Siddaamaiah said he had given a quota in the civil contract works for the SCs for the first time in the country.
He also listed the works he had done during his tenure as CM including reservation in promotion, hike in funds for the SCP/TSP schemes and a law to punish officials who failed to spend the funds.