Bill for special status to Hyd K'taka region introduced in LS

The Centre on Friday introduced in the Lok Sabha a bill seeking to amend Article 371 of the Constitution to accord special status to six backward districts of the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, enabling local reservation in education and jobs, besides development.

Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde introduced the Constitution (118th Amendment) Bill, 2012, which aims to insert a new Article 371-J to provide special provisions for the six backward districts—Gulbarga, Bidar, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal and Bellary—of North Karnataka.

“The special provisions aim to establish an institutional mechanism for equitable allocation of funds to meet the development needs over this region as well as to enhance human resources and promote employment from the region by providing for local cadres in service and reservation in educational and vocational training institutions,” the objects and reasons of the bill states.

The bill provides for establishment of a separate Development Board, equitable allocation of funds for the development of the region and reservation of seats in education and vocational training institutions in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region for students who belong to the region by birth or by domicile.Besides, the state government have to identify posts or classes of posts in the state government and other organisations controlled by it in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region and make reservation of a proportion of such posts for persons who belong to that region by birth or by domicile.

The Union Cabinet on September 4 cleared the Constitutional amendment, which would require a two-thirds majority in both Houses for its passage. The bill will also enable establishment of a regional council. The Amendment will enable the President to, by order, provide for any special responsibility of the governor for making these provisions, including establishment of a separate development board among others.