Bangalore: Yeddy Backtracks on Quota Changes for TP/ZP Seats

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Nov 9: Worried by the vehement opposition from the Congress and JD(S) opposition parties over the state government’s recent proposal for increasing the quota for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and indirectly reducing the reservations for Other Backward Classes in the ensuing taluk and zilla panchayat polls in state, the B S Yeddyurappa regime has decided to withdraw the quota changes.
 
The state Cabinet, which met in Bangalore on Tuesday evening, seems to have decided to undo the damage to the ruling BJP prospects in the ensuing taluk and zilla panchayats on account of the ordinance issued by the government on October 4 for changing the quota system by approving a proposal for repealing the controversial ordinance.

Briefing reporters after the state Cabinet meeting, state higher education minister Dr V S Acharya and law and parliamentary affairs minister S Suresh Kumar announced that the government has decided to positively respond to the opposition outcry on the reduction in the seats for the OBCs and opted for maintaining status quo on number of seats for OBCs in ZPs.

Consequently, the state government would ask governor H R Bhardwaj to promulgate an ordinance to repeal the recent ordinance which has reduced the number of seats in ZPs to OBCs.

The two ministers said the government would promulgate a fresh ordinance on Wednesday to maintain the existing status of reservation for OBCs (before October 4, 2010 Ordinance).

The Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act would be amended in the coming state legislature session to ensure justice to all OBCs, Suresh Kumar said.

There has been drastic reduction in number of seats for OBCs in some of the ZPs. For instance, the ministers said, in Raichur and Chitradurga ZPs the number of seats for OBCs declined from 10 to 2.

To protect the interest of OBCs, the Cabinet has decided to promulgate new ordinance to repeal the ordinance issued last month, they said.

The state Election Commission had planned to hold elections to zilla and taluk panchayats next month. The Commission would work out a new list based on the ordinance issued by the government, Suresh Kumar said.

Last month’s ordinance has reduced the number of seats for OBCs from 334 to 223, this is an average reduction of more than 30 per cent.

Adhering to the Supreme Court’s order to limit the reservation to 50 per cent for OBCs, SCs and STs, the government issued the ordinance. But this has reduced the number of seats for OBCs.

The government would bring changes in the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act and if necessary take steps to approach the Supreme Court to safeguard the interest of the OBCs, the ministers said.

The Cabinet has also decided to recruit panchyat development officers to all 5628 gram panchayats in the state through the state Public Service Commission. It has also decided to recruit 2500 accountants in GPs, they said.