BENGALURU : The Siddaramaiah cabinet on Thursday took a decision to recommend classification of Scheduled Caste (SC) quota to the Centre for amendment of Article 341(3) of the Constitution in Parliament. It means the state government has lobbed the ball right into the Central government’s court.
Briefing the media, Social Welfare Minister Dr HC Mahadevappa said the government is committed to safeguarding the interest of all 101 castes within the SC category, with no idea of dropping the Bhovi, Lambani, Korama and Koracha castes.
“The cabinet discussed the classification of SC quota and its legal aspects. It felt that the amendment to Article 341(3) is inevitable. The Justice AJ Sadashiva Commission report’s terms of reference were taken into account. It included backwardness of the communities, inadequacy and giving opportunities to communities without compromising on efficiency,” he said.
Mahadevappa alleged that the previous BJP government did not place the report before the cabinet, but took a hasty decision and formed a cabinet sub-committee with then law minister JC Madhuswamy as its chairman. The sub-committee recommended increase of SC quota from 5 per cent to 17 per cent, following the Justice Nagamohan Das Committee report, proportionate to the 2011 population census.
“It has termed the AJ Sadashiva Commission report as irrelevant and closed. As we cannot place it before the cabinet, it took a decision to approach the Centre for amendment of Article 341(3). Parliament is the only authority to take a call on classification of quota and the State government has no role except for recommending it to the Centre,” the minister said, adding that states such as Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana have failed by taking decisions on their own.
The Congress, during the SC/ST rally held at Chitradurga prior to the assembly polls, had promised the classification of SC quota by including it in its manifesto. In the past, the UPA had set up the Justice Usha Mehra Commission with regard to classification of quota, he explained.
To a query, Law Minister HK Patil maintained that the cabinet’s decision will not be subjudice, with the Supreme Court having constituted a seven judges’ constitutional bench for classification of SC quota, and the hearing having begun. “We have recommended amendment of Article 341(3) and it is up to Parliament to take a call,” he maintained.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa thanked the government.