Minority quota hike only after fresh housing targets by govt
Bengaluru: The govt's decision to hike minority reservation in housing from 10% to 15% is likely to be implemented only once chief minister Siddaramaiah allocates "targets" for the housing department and is unlikely to impact the current situation.
Housing and minority welfare minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan defended the govt's move and reiterated that the cabinet decision was based on central govt directives.
"The state has no role to play in this quota hike," Khan said. "The central govt directed us to implement the 2006 Sachar Committee report which recommended a 15% housing quota for minorities. The chief secretary received written communication from the Centre in 2019, followed by directions from the National Minority Commission in 2021 when BJP was at the helm."
Khan said the hike in quota can only be implemented when fresh targets are fixed for the housing department. "At present, Siddaramaiah has given us the green signal to complete ongoing work pending from 2013," he said. "The fresh quota is only prospective."
Housing department officials say the 15% quota will not be "added" but will be "offset" from one district to another. "Say, for example, only 3% of the quota is filled in Chikkaballapur, then the remaining 7% from Chikkaballapur will be shifted to Bidar, where there is a demand for 15% from minorities," said an official.
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Emphasising this, chief minister Siddaramaiah said: "In many panchayats, the population of minorities is less than 10%. To ensure optimal use of targets, we have allowed the gap from these panchayats to be used elsewhere, subject to the 15% cap in the unreserved section."
Meanwhile, Khan said the total expenditure for ongoing work is about Rs 9,500 crore under various housing schemes and hinted that the quota hike will not be implemented anytime soon due to a paucity of funds.
Appeasement, says BJP
BJP Friday continued to target the govt over its decision to increase reservation in housing for minorities from 10% to 15%, calling it "minority appeasement" and pandering to its core vote bank of the Muslim community.
While criticising the decision, former chief minister BS Yediyurappa Friday, said: "We are not against minorities, but supporting them beyond a point is unpardonable. The govt is supposed to help Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Instead, it is creating confusion like Tughlaq darbar."
He challenged CM Siddaramaiah and his govt to show where, in part of the state, even a kilometre of road was built. He claimed infrastructure development has come to a standstill. "Irrigation projects have been stalled and there is no one to listen to people's concerns," he said.
Meanwhile, his son and party state president BY Vijayendra drew parallels between the state govt and the NDA govt under Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre where "both Hindus and minorities alike are being served justice". He accused Siddaramaiah of practising "devise politics", saying: "The CM's conduct demeans the dignity of his post. People will give him a befitting reply." tnn
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