BENGALURU: The Karnataka government will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the inclusion of the decision to enhance reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said on Thursday.
“At the morning meeting, we discussed the increase in reservation and the issue of internal reservation. The Cabinet has already decided to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the High Court’s verdict on these matters, and our petition has been admitted. We have entrusted Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, Muniyappa and Satish Jarkiholi with the responsibility of deciding who should represent the State in the legal battle and overseeing the case. We are confident that we will get justice in the Supreme Court,” he told reporters after a meeting of the State Council for the Development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes at Vikas Soudha, Shivakumar said the government was confident of getting relief from the Supreme Court in the legal battle over enhanced reservation and internal reservation.
“There is no point in blaming those who handled the issue earlier. Tamil Nadu has 69 per cent reservation. We are seeking only a six per cent increase over the 50 per cent limit,” he said.
Shivakumar said the government had already resolved the issue of internal reservation and would focus on new welfare programmes for SC and ST communities in the next Budget. A vision group would be formed to suggest initiatives for their welfare.
The government has also decided to commission a social audit through reputed institutions to assess the impact of funds allocated under the Special Component Plan for Scheduled Castes (SCSP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) over the years.
On backlog vacancies, Shivakumar said 17,793 of the 19,115 posts identified between 2001 and 2025 had been filled, while the remaining vacancies would be filled. He put the number of pending posts at 1,574.
Shivakumar said Rs 42,503 crore was allocated under the two plans in 2025-26, while Rs 44,631 crore had been earmarked for the current financial year. The funds have been distributed among 451 schemes implemented by 34 departments.
Some legislators had pointed out that there was an overlap among certain schemes. A two-day review involving SC and ST legislators and the Social Welfare Minister would be held under Parameshwara’s leadership to examine whether changes could be made in consultation with the Finance Department. A report would be submitted to the government, he said.
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