Muslim quota in contracts: Bill to 'overcome unemployment problem', says govt

Bengaluru: The Siddaramaiah administration on Tuesday introduced a Bill in the Assembly to provide a 4% reservation for Muslims in tenders “to overcome the unemployment problem”.

The BJP, which is opposing this as “minority appeasement” and “an unconstitutional misadventure”, has said it would challenge the Karnataka government’s Bill in court.

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% quota.

At present, Karnataka has 24% reservation in construction works contracts for SC/STs -- 17.15% for Scheduled Castes and 6.95% for Scheduled Tribes -- up to Rs 1 crore. The Bill seeks to amend Section 6 of the KTPP Act to increase this limit to Rs 2 crore for SC/STs. 

OBCs belonging to Category-1 (4%) and Category-2A (15%) already have reservations in construction works contracts up to Rs 1 crore. 

Now, Muslims will  get a 4% reservation in construction works contracts valued up to Rs 1 crore, as per the Bill.

The Bill also introduces 24% reservation for SC/STs, 4% for Muslims, 4% for Category-1 and 15% for Category-2A in government tenders for the procurement of goods and services up to Rs 1 crore. 

The Bill is in line with announcements made by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in his 2025-26 Budget presented on March 7. According to the Bill's statement of objects and reasons, the amendments are necessary to give effect to the Budget proposals "and thereby overcome the unemployment problem".

The BJP has argued that reservation on the basis of religion is not allowed under the Constitution. The previous Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government scrapped the 4% quota for Muslims and moved them to the 10% Economically Weaker Section bracket. This is pending before the Supreme Court. 

“Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar resisted the move to grant reservation on the basis of religion...calling it a ‘fatal dose for the country’ and warning of its potential to balkanise India,” Bangalore South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said Monday. “Yet, by announcing a 4% reservation in government tenders, those purportedly protecting (Ambedkar’s) legacy have shown utter disrespect to him and the country's SC, ST and OBC communities,” he added.

Defending his government, IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge said: “The BJP has gone senile. We’ve not extended any special reservation for Muslims. It was there for SCs, STs, Category-1 and Category-2A. It’s being extended for Category-2B, which has Muslims.”