BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said that the Congress government is committed to inclusive development rejecting the politics of hatred and division being pushed by BJP.
Hitting out at BJP that questioned his government’s decision to increase quota for minorities in housing schemes, CM Siddaramaiah said that the Cabinet has approved a decision to enhance the earmarking for minority beneficiaries, including Christians, Jains, Muslims, etc, under state-run housing schemes in a calibrated manner, in line with the Union Government’s own guidelines.
The CM said that the government’s decision does not grant blanket enhancement of quota across the state. “It only addresses a specific implementation challenge. In many panchayats where the minority population is less than 10%, the mandated 10% earmarking could not be utilised.
“To ensure optimal use of the allocated targets and avoid lapses, we have allowed the gap from such panchayats to be reallocated to those with a higher minority population, subject to a cap of 15%,” he said, terming it as an administrative adjustment within the unreserved category and does not affect SC, ST, or OBC reservations in any manner. The decision is legally sound and has been cleared by the Law Department after thorough review, the CM said.
Siddaramaiah said that over 34,000 additional minority families, most of them landless and in need of housing, will benefit from this decision in the current year. Where no minority applicants are found in a panchayat, the unutilised share will be reallocated to where there is higher need, he said.
“This is based on the Prime Minister’s 15-Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities (2019), which clearly directs all Central and State implementing agencies to earmark 15% of physical and financial targets for minorities wherever possible.
This guideline is issued by the BJP-led Union Government and has been in force for years. If this was unconstitutional or appeasement, why did the Union Government ask all states to follow it? Why is it being implemented under Central schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana?” the CM questioned.
Siddaramaiah said that if the BJP has any objection, they must first explain why their own government continues to operate under the same guidelines and why it expects other states to do the same. “This selective outrage is nothing but an attempt to stoke communal sentiments and derail efforts meant to uplift the poorest and most marginalised families in the state,” he said, adding that BJP’s reaction is politically motivated.
Meanwhile, Minister for Housing and Minority Welfare Zameer Ahmad Khan said that a Cabinet subcommittee of the HD Kumaraswamy government had recommended increasing quota for minorities in 2019.
According to the Sachar Committee report, the Centre has been providing 15% reservation for minorities in housing schemes. There was a demand for similar model in the state as well, he added. He also said the National Commission for Minorities, too, had recommended 15% quota in 2021.
The Minority community was allotted 10% reservation under various housing schemes in an order issued on November 16, 2015. The government continued with the policy with an order issued in June 5, 2017, by extending the quota in the Basava
Housing Rural Scheme, Vajpayee Urban Housing Scheme, and D Devaraja Arasu Special Housing Scheme.