Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot has sent Karnataka’s Bill providing for 4% reservation for Muslims in government contracts to the Rashtrapati Bhavan after he came across objections to the state creating a quota based on religion.
The Karnataka legislature passed a Bill, last month, paving the way for a separate quota for Muslims in the award of government contracts amid strong resistance from the opposition BJP, as the ruling Congress sought to consolidate its grip on the community through the move.
The BJP had petitioned the Governor urging him to reject the Bill. The Raj Bhavan too is said to have weighed in and consulted legal experts before lobbing the Bill to the President’s court for a view.
The development coincides with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacking Karnataka’s Bill, calling it unconstitutional. Speaking at Haryana on Monday, the PM came down heavily on the Congress regime in Karnataka for seeking to create the quota for Muslims. Though Dr BR Ambedkar’s Constitution does not provide for reservation based on religion, the Congress government in Karnataka has snatched the rights of SC, ST, OBC and given reservation based on religion in tenders, he said.
The concession for Muslim contractors, according to sources, was given after chief minister Siddaramaiah came under intense pressure from the party’s Muslim leaders to do something for the community.
SC/ST contractors currently enjoy a 24.1% reservation in government contracts and the government later extended the benefit to also other communities that come under Category 1.
All departments must now follow the quota system while awarding civil contracts of up to Rs 1 crore as per the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Act, 1999 (KTPP Act), a senior official explained. The Bill seeks to double the cap to Rs 2 crore. Departments including minor irrigation, rural development and panchayat raj, urban development, public works and health routinely award civil contracts.
Siddaramaiah, sources said, has been under pressure from the party’s Muslim leaders and MLAs for a similar quota for the contractors from the community. They are said to have told the CM that the Congress was able to win 136 seats in the assembly polls in May 2023 because of the backing it got from Muslim voters. The group also has a grouse that the community has just two ministers (excluding the speaker) with light portfolios, and it deserves better. The victory of Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan from Shiggaon, a constituency held earlier by former CM Basavaraj Bommai, added heft to their demands.
The Karnataka legislature passed a Bill, last month, paving the way for a separate quota for Muslims in the award of government contracts amid strong resistance from the opposition BJP, as the ruling Congress sought to consolidate its grip on the community through the move.
The BJP had petitioned the Governor urging him to reject the Bill. The Raj Bhavan too is said to have weighed in and consulted legal experts before lobbing the Bill to the President’s court for a view.
The development coincides with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacking Karnataka’s Bill, calling it unconstitutional. Speaking at Haryana on Monday, the PM came down heavily on the Congress regime in Karnataka for seeking to create the quota for Muslims. Though Dr BR Ambedkar’s Constitution does not provide for reservation based on religion, the Congress government in Karnataka has snatched the rights of SC, ST, OBC and given reservation based on religion in tenders, he said.
The concession for Muslim contractors, according to sources, was given after chief minister Siddaramaiah came under intense pressure from the party’s Muslim leaders to do something for the community.
SC/ST contractors currently enjoy a 24.1% reservation in government contracts and the government later extended the benefit to also other communities that come under Category 1.
All departments must now follow the quota system while awarding civil contracts of up to Rs 1 crore as per the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Act, 1999 (KTPP Act), a senior official explained. The Bill seeks to double the cap to Rs 2 crore. Departments including minor irrigation, rural development and panchayat raj, urban development, public works and health routinely award civil contracts.
Siddaramaiah, sources said, has been under pressure from the party’s Muslim leaders and MLAs for a similar quota for the contractors from the community. They are said to have told the CM that the Congress was able to win 136 seats in the assembly polls in May 2023 because of the backing it got from Muslim voters. The group also has a grouse that the community has just two ministers (excluding the speaker) with light portfolios, and it deserves better. The victory of Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan from Shiggaon, a constituency held earlier by former CM Basavaraj Bommai, added heft to their demands.
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