Sadashiva report on SC quota to be referred to Law dept

The State Cabinet on Thursday decided to refer the report of the A J Sadashiva Commission, which has recommended internal reservation among the Scheduled Castes, to the Law department with a mandate to incorporate the 2011 census data and the findings of the yet-to-be-released caste census report.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said the commission had arrived at its recommendations based on the 2005 statistics of the Scheduled Caste population. The Cabinet felt that the 2011 census data collected on the Scheduled Caste commuities should be incorporated into the report. Besides, inputs from the socio-economic survey (popularly known as the caste census) could also be included, he said.
The Karnataka Backward Classes Commission, which conducted the census earlier this year, is likely to submit its report in a month, sources said.

The sources said at Thursday’s meeting that the ministers were divided on implementing the recommendations of the commission. While Jayachandra and some ministers argued that implementing the recommendations would open a ‘Pandora’s box’, Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya spoke in favour of implementation.

The Sadashiva Commission, which submitted its report to the then BJP government in June 2012, had recommended that the present 15 per cent reservation benefits for the Scheduled Castes be divided among the left hand, right hand, other Scheduled Castes and ‘touchable’ groups in the ratio of six, five, one and three per cent, respectively.

The panel was set up in September 2005 following complaints by the most backward groups within the Scheduled Caste category that only some groups had cornered all the reservation benefits, while they had been denied their fair share of the constitutional rights.The report had been listed on the agenda of the State Cabinet for discussion previously also, but was deferred.

Housing scheme
Jayachandra said the Cabinet gave its nod for Dr B R Ambedkar Niwas Yojana which proposes to construct one lakh houses in rural areas at a cost of Rs 1.5 lakh per house and 50,000 houses in urban areas at Rs 1.8 lakh per house for SC/STs.

Other Cabinet decisions
*Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been authorised to decide on the resignation submitted by Advocate General Ravi Verma Kumar.
*ICU with ventilators to be established at Ramanagar and Yadgir district hospitals and 25 taluk hospitals.
*Cabinet sub-committee headed by Law Minister T B Jayachandra to frame guidelines for auctioning of minor minerals, including sand.
*Approval for tenders to implement regional multi-village drinking water supply in all habitations in Kushtagi and Yelburga taluks.
*Approval for construction of a mini Vidhana Soudha at Tiptur taluk in Tumakuru at a cost of Rs 10 crore.