Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Defends Enhanced Minority Quota in Housing Schemes

In response to opposition criticism, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has firmly defended his government's decision to increase reservation quotas by 10-15% in various housing schemes aimed at minority communities. He asserted that this move is consistent with the central government's guidelines spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for minority welfare.

The Chief Minister stated that allegations from the BJP labeling the decision as "unconstitutional" and "appeasement" lack merit, given that the guidelines are rooted in Prime Minister's 15-Point Programme for Minorities established in 2019, which instructs all implementing agencies to allocate 15% of resources to minorities where feasible. He questioned the logic of BJP's criticism as the guidelines have long been applied in central schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

The enhanced quota targets specific panchayats with significant minority populations, addressing implementation challenges where previous targets could not be fully utilized. Siddaramaiah highlighted that this reallocation is confined within the unreserved category and does not impinge on reservations made for SC, ST, or OBC groups. The initiative, vetted by the Law Department, is projected to impact 34,000 additional minority families positively, emphasizing fairness, resource efficiency, and constitutional compliance.

(With inputs from agencies.)