Minorities' housing schemes quota to go from 10% to 15%

Hindustan Times

5 hours ago

The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday decided to enhance the reservation for minorities under various housing schemes in the state from 10% to 15%, drawing criticism from the opposition BJP, which called the move 'unconstitutional'.
According to ministers, the move aligned with both the demographic realities and existing central guidelines.
According to the government, this enhanced quota will benefit all minorities, including Muslims, Christians, and Jains.
The change will apply to all government housing initiatives implemented across the state, and according to housing minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, it comes after long-standing demands from minority groups who have struggled to access affordable housing.
The decision, however, has led the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to accuse the Congress-led government of pushing a religion-based agenda in violation of constitutional principles.
Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar defended the revision, highlighting that many housing units remain unoccupied in towns and cities, and that the new allocation could address both vacancy and need. 'In Mandya, there are 7 to 9 towers where no one has moved in. At least minorities are willing to occupy those buildings,' he said. 'In urban areas, a lot of minorities are present. We couldn't allocate [homes] to others, and that's why they requested 10–15%.'
He pointed to similar patterns in Bengaluru, where homes built under public schemes have not been fully utilised. 'We've constructed houses, but no one has occupied them,' he said, adding that the increase was a long-pending demand. 'In the past seven years, they proposed this, and we agreed.'
Law minister HK Patil called the change a reflection of the government's 'housing for all' vision. 'Many houseless individuals come from downtrodden and minority backgrounds. This move ensures that homes reach those in genuine need,' he said, clarifying that the quota does not exclude other communities. 'The government is firm that all eligible, houseless individuals should be accommodated.'
The BJP has condemned the decision as constitutionally untenable. Union minister Pralhad Joshi claimed it flouted Supreme Court orders that bar religion-based reservations. 'This is a clear case of appeasement. The Congress government has increased what was on paper 4 to 15% in practice,' he said. 'It is a direct attack on the rights of SCs, STs, and OBCs, who will now lose out on benefits rightfully theirs.'
Joshi warned of potential legal action, stating the party would review options in consultation with legal experts.
BJP MLC CT Ravi also criticised the policy, invoking the legacy of Dr BR Ambedkar. 'Ambedkar never supported religion-based reservation. Now Congress is extending it to housing too,' he said. The move follows another contentious policy from the Siddaramaiah government earlier this year — an attempt to reserve 4% of government contracts under ₹2 crore for Muslims.