Decision on 10% EWS quota soon, says Bommai

Law Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday told the Legislative Assembly that the state government will soon issue an order on the 10% reservation for economically-weaker sections.

Bommai said that the Cabinet will make a decision soon after Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri joined BJP legislators Vedavyas Kamath and V Sunil Kumar in urging the government to make sure the 10% EWS quota benefited people, especially students.

“The state government has clarity on this. The Constitutional amendment brought by the Modi administration for those who don’t have any quota and are economically-backwards should benefit Kannadigas also,” Bommai said. “An earlier order that was issued did not have clarity. A clear order will be issued soon,” he added.

In January 2019, the Centre notified 10% reservation in government jobs and admissions into educational institutions for families from the upper caste communities whose annual income is below Rs 8 lakh.

“Some 8-10 states have implemented this and this should be expedited, especially for students, in Karnataka. There’s a disappointment that this is getting delayed. If PM Modi’s decision isn’t implemented in Karnataka, it doesn’t bode well,” Kageri said, urging the government to act fast.

Bommai said that the government was studying decisions taken in Goa and Gujarat on the 10% EWS quota. “We have already discussed this. We will notify the communities that should come under this since there are complaints that many have been left out as per an earlier order. We will discuss with the Revenue department so that these communities are given certificates,” he said.

Kamath, the Mangalore City (South) MLA, said several communities were not getting certificates under the 10% EWS quota, citing the example of the Goud Saraswat Brahmins. Labour Minister Shivaram Hebbar gave the example of the Vadi Vysya community in the Uttara Kannada district saying they were eligible to receive the benefit of the 10% EWS quota.