Will use caste census report as basis for budget preparation: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Thursday that his government will keep the Social & Educational Survey’s findings as the basis for budget-making and programme formulation, signalling his clear intention of wanting to go ahead with the contentious report.

“We will keep this [survey] as the basis for budget preparation,” Siddaramaiah told a news conference when asked about implementing the findings of the Social & Educational Survey.

The Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, which conducted the Social & Educational Survey (caste census) in 2015, has recommended hiking the OBC quota from 32 per cent to 51 per cent.

“The state government can’t increase the reservation ceiling beyond 50 per cent. Only the union government can do that. So, we’ll make a recommendation to the union government to remove the 50 per cent reservation ceiling,” Siddaramaiah said. “The remaining aspects of the survey will be implemented.”

Siddaramaiah’s statement came even as the survey report is currently before the Cabinet awaiting a decision. The next Cabinet meeting is scheduled on May 9, where it will be discussed, the CM said.

“I have asked all ministers to provide their opinions. Based on those opinions, we will discuss and decide. I can’t say now what we will discuss or decide. We will send our decision to the union government,” Siddaramaiah said.

Several communities, including the ‘dominant’ Lingayats and Vokkaligas, are opposing the numbers captured in the 2015 survey. They contend that their communities were undercounted. Siddaramaiah maintained that the survey covered 5.98 crore out of a population of 6.30 crore. He also rejected the argument that the findings of the 2015 survey were outdated. “The Mandal Commission was appointed in 1978, and its report was given in 1980. It was discussed in 1992. Was that late? It makes no difference,” he said.

The CM reiterated his argument that the reservation cap of 50 per cent, laid down by the Supreme Court in the 1992 Indira Sawhney case, was no longer intact after the introduction of the 10 per cent EWS quota. “Tamil Nadu has 69 per cent reservation. It is 77 per cent in Jharkhand," he said, adding that reservations in Karnataka are already at 56 per cent.

Accusing the Modi administration of announcing the enumeration of castes in the Census, keeping the upcoming Bihar election in mind, Siddaramaiah said the BJP has, historically, opposed reservations. "They've always been against social justice," he said.

Siddaramaiah hailed Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for his dogged pursuit of the caste census.