Bengaluru. Congress’s Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka was first accused of cutting the reservation for OBCs and giving it to Muslims. Now there is news in the media that the Karnataka government is preparing to give reservation to Muslims in government tenders for civil works worth up to Rs 1 crore. According to the news published in the English newspaper Deccan Herald, if this proposal gets the green signal, 47 percent quota i.e. reservation will be given to the Muslim community in the tender worth up to Rs 1 crore for the government civil work of Karnataka. The newspaper quoted a senior officer as saying that such a decision could be taken to give place to the Ahinda community in the government tender process.
Currently, in Karnataka government work tenders, there is 24 per cent reservation for Scheduled Castes and Tribes, 4 per cent for Category 1 and 15 per cent for OBCs and 15 per cent for Category 2. Siddaramaiah had implemented this reservation after forming the government in Karnataka. In this way reservation becomes 43 percent. Deccan Herald, quoting a source, has reported that the Muslim community can be brought under Category 2B for providing reservation in government tenders. However, no decision has been taken yet. Currently, 95 communities including Besta, Uppara and Dalit Christians have been kept in Category 1. Whereas in Category 2A there are Kuruba, Idiga and 100 other communities.
According to the newspaper, contractors from Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities are angry with the increase in reservation in Category 1 and Category 2A. He has demanded Karnataka State Contractors Association to call a meeting on this matter and raise the issue with the government. At the same time, the contractors’ association has demanded from the Siddaramaiah government to increase the contract amount limit from Rs 1 to Rs 2 crore. However, if Muslims are given reservation in government contracts, then the politics of Karnataka may heat up once again.