Internal quota likely by June: Ex-minister
Ballari: Former minister H Anjaneya said he was optimistic that the survey to fix internal quota for Scheduled Caste communities will be completed by the end of May and the internal reservation matrix would be declared in June.
At a press conference Sunday, he said: "Some Beda Jangamas are trying to claim benefits meant for Scheduled Castes. If a fraudulent certificate is obtained, both issuer and the recipient will face imprisonment. We cannot remain passive if they attempt to infringe upon rights of Madigas. This issue has already been reported to the Commission."
He said the struggle to fix internal reservation has been going on for the past 35 years and blamed it on a lack of population data. He said: "The Prime Minister has now consented to a caste census because Rahul Gandhi pushed for one. The state and Union govts must demonstrate their commitment in this matter [caste census and internal reservation]. Following the current caste census, there would be unanimous support for the decision to establish internal reservation," he said.
However, he acknowledged the difficulty of the task saying: "In some regions, SCs practice Christianity and Buddhism. These individuals must accurately record their original caste."
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