Karnataka Govt Approves Reservation for Muslim Contractors; Siddaramaiah Cabinet Passes Proposal

Bengaluru, 15 March – (www.deccanlive.com): The Karnataka Cabinet has approved an amendment to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act. According to reports, this amendment will provide a 4% reservation for Muslim contractors in government contracts. This decision was approved in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday. The amendment bill is expected to be introduced in the current assembly session. Earlier, on March 7, Siddaramaiah had announced that 4% of government contracts would be reserved for Muslims.

The BJP has strongly criticized this decision. BJP leaders claimed that the Karnataka government’s budget is influenced by Aurangzeb. According to sources, the Cabinet also discussed a proposal to lease 4.24 acres of land from the Agriculture Department in Hebbal to the International Flower Auction Bangalore (IFAB) for two years without any rent. The Cabinet also approved financial assistance of ₹96.77 crore for the reconstruction and replacement of equipment at the Bengaluru Bio-Innovation Center after a fire incident in January.

Sources also reported that the Cabinet discussed reforms in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC). A decision was made to set up an expert committee to suggest improvements in KPSC and to create a search committee for the appointment of KPSC members.

After the Karnataka budget, the BJP accused the government of practicing appeasement politics. A BJP leader criticized the Congress government for allocating ₹150 crore for the repair of Waqf properties, development of infrastructure, and maintenance of Muslim cemeteries. The leader said that the Karnataka government made this proposal at a time when the central government is about to introduce a bill in Parliament to amend the Waqf Act.