BS Yediyurappa, Cheif Minister of Karnataka
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa decided to include all those communities, not part of the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Classes list, into the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation quota.
The decision was taken after the meeting of the Karnataka cabinet which is seen as a bid to placate all communities in the state.
Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Basavaraj Bommai said that the order regarding this will come out shortly.
He also informed that all those communities, which are not part of the SC/ST/OBC lists, will be eligible to apply for jobs as well as for education seats under the EWS reservation category.
He added that all those families, whose income is less than Rs 8 lakh per annum, will be eligible under this EWS category reservations.
Earlier this year, Yediyurappa was under tremendous pressure from his own party leaders who were demanding better quota reservations. Seers from various communities had led movements across the state, demanding a hike in reservation quotas.
Panchamasali Lingayats, who are part of the politically dominant Lingayat community, were seeking Category 2A status, Kurubas, the third-largest community in the state seeking a Schedule Tribe tag Valmiki community was seeking a hike in reservation from 3.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent. Some prominent state BJP leaders, including incumbent ministers, had supported the demands.