Quota for poor Brahmins under consideration

Survey to collect data on community's socio-economic status

Minister for Social Welfare H Anjaneya on Monday informed the Legislative Council that the government will consider providing reservation for poor Brahmins in the State along the lines of other backward classes (OBCs).

In a written reply to Prof Mumtaz Ali Khan (BJP), the minister said the government had already commissioned the collection of data on social and economic situation of Brahmin families through a door-to-door surveys to be undertaken by the State Backward Classes Commission.

Information will be gathered by the Commission, alongside what is required to study the social and financial status of Dalits, SCs/STs and minorities in the State.
When contacted by Deccan Herald, Anjaneya said: “All categories, regardless of their caste, do have certain population which is economically and socially weak. We will consider all of them before arriving at any decision.”

Special quota?

With the total reservation not to exceed 49 per cent, as per the Supreme court directives, sources said that there might be a cut in the quota for one or two of the seven categories in the State.

Sources claim that if such reservation is not possible, then the State may consult the National Backward Classes Commission to check whether there is any opportunity to provide special economic status reservation to poor Brahmins.

Sources in the government said that the reservation for poor Brahmins was being considered as there are many people in the caste who have not even completed their 10th standard and, are socially and economically as weak as those from the OBCs. It is estimated that the Brahmins constitute about two per cent of the total population of the State.

Caste-based census

A caste-based census has been recently commissioned by the Congress government and an official order is awaited by the State Backward Classes Commission to start door-to-door enumeration.

The question on the possible reservation for poor Brahmins was raised in the Council by Prof Khan, who sought to know why the government had not extended reservation benefits to Brahmins, who he claimed were deprived of opportunities in the State.