Corporations for castes a policy decision, Karnataka tells HC

The state government has filed a detailed statement of objections on the PILs challenging the setting up of boards and corporations for the benefit of individual castes, communities or religion.

The state government has defended the establishment of boards and corporations stating that they are intended to eradicate inequalities.

A common statement of objections was filed in a batch of petitions filed challenging the establishments of Lingayat, Maratha, Brahmin, Aryavysya development boards or corporations. The government said it has exercised constitutional powers under Article 162 of the Constitution and maintained that the issue falls within the domain of a policy decision.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka posted the next hearing to March 31.

According to the government, the boards or corporations are intended to cater to the community that falls in the SC/ ST/OBC or economically weaker section (EWS). These boards and corporations were set up keeping in mind various factors like social status, education levels, cultural and economic background, the state said.

One of the contentions of the petitioners was that the inclusion of some of the castes into the list of backward classes was a politically favouring entry, keeping in view the voters in the upcoming bypolls. The state government said that several boards/corporations were in existence even before the announcement of bypolls. The statement of objections said that boards and corporations such as Karnataka Christian Development Corporation, Karnataka Uppara Development Corporation, Vishwakarma Development were established in the past 15 years.

The government said that it was not the case of the petitioners that every individual in the community of the Brahmin, Maratha, Veerashaiva Lingayath, Arya Vaishya, Vishwakarma etc. are socially, economically and educationally forward. "Most of the individuals only owing to the fact of the community to which they belong would be deprived of their legitimate entitlement and the state is duty-bound to reach out to each and every such person and extend its helping hand which have been so sought," the statement said.