Muslim quota: Bill passed for 4% reservations in govt contracts in Karnataka

The Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Bill was approved in the Cabinet on Friday last week to provide reservation for Muslims, who are classified under Category-2B under Other Backward Classes (OBC) with a 4 per cent quota.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Friday passed a Bill to provide 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in public contracts, amidst strong protests by opposition BJP.

BJP MLAs climbed on the podium where Speaker U T Khader's chair is placed and threw papers at him.

On Khader's direction, Marshals evicted the MLAs, who tried to surround the Speaker's chair.

Leader of Opposition, R Ashoka, termed the Bill "unconstitutional".

The 'Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2025' was piloted by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil.

The Cabinet on last Friday had approved an amendment to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act, reserving for Muslims 4 per cent of contracts in (civil) works valued up to Rs 2 crore, and goods/services procurement contracts up to Rs 1 crore. This was announced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in his 2025-26 Budget, presented on March 7.

At present, Karnataka has reservation in civil works contracts for SC/STs (24 per cent) and OBC contractors belonging to Category-1 (4 per cent) and Category-2A (15 per cent).

There were demands to add Muslims under Category-2B of the OBCs with a reservation of 4 per cent.

The BJP has termed the Karnataka government’s move to provide four per cent reservation to Muslims in government contracts an "unconstitutional misadventure", and had said it will oppose it at all levels, including challenging it in court, until it is rolled back.

The Bill that was presented in the Assembly further amends the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act, 1999.

As per the Bill, it aims to overcome the unemployment problem in the backward classes and to encourage their participation in construction works, not exceeding 4 per cent for the persons belonging to the category 2B of backward classes (Muslims), out of the total number of government construction works upto Rs 2 crore.

The Bill further provides for reservation among the scheduled castes or scheduled tribes or backward classes in the procurement of goods and services excluding construction works in the notified departments, the value of which does not exceed Rs 1 crore.

It encourages their participation in such procurement to the extent of Rs 17.5 per cent for persons belonging to SC, 6.95 per cent for the persons belonging to ST, 4 per cent to category 1 of OBC, 15 per cent to category 2A and 4 per cent to category 2B (Muslims). There is no extra expenditure involved in the proposed legislative measure, the Bill said.