Karnataka Approves 33% Quota For Other Backward Classes In Urban Polls

The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday accepted three of the five recommendations of the Justice K Bhakthavatsala Commission on providing one-third or 33 per cent reservation to other backward classes (OBC) in urban local bodies (ULB) elections.

A commission headed by Justice K Bhakthavatsala, a former judge of the Karnataka High Court, constituted to study suitable political representation for OBCs in the ULB elections, had submitted a report to then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai last year.

"The Bhakthavatsala Commission made five recommendations. Of them, three have been accepted by the cabinet. The first one is to continue the policy of political reservation in one-third (33 per cent) of the total seats in the ensuing Urban and Local Bodies (ULB) election in favour of the OBCs, as per the present classification of OBCs as 'Backward Classes' Category - A and B," Karnataka's Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil said.

The aggregate of reservation for seats in favour of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes shall not exceed 50 per cent of total seats, he said.

Briefing the cabinet decision to the media, the minister said the second recommendation that has been accepted is to consider providing reservations of office of the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor in BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) in favour of persons belonging to Other Backward Classes.

"The third recommendation that has been accepted is to bring all ULB election wings, under the control of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR)," he added.

The minister further said the recommendations of the commission that have not been accepted are to consider an amendment to Section 10 of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (KMC) Act 1976 regarding the term of office of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for 30 months as provided in the case of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of BBMP under the BBMP Act 2020.

The recommendation is that the state government may review the re-classification of "Backward Classes" Category-A and B into two more Categories of "Backward Classes" for the purpose of effective reservation in favour of OBCs including minorities, before the next local body election that will be held in the year 2027 or 2028 -- has also not been accepted, he said.

The cabinet has also given its approval to the Health department's 'Brain Health Initiative' in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in three districts -- Kolar, Chikkaballapura, and Bengaluru -- in a hub and spoke model at the cost of Rs 25 crore.

After a successful implementation of the pilot programme, it will be extended to the whole state, Patil said.

In order to prevent and control the spread of anemia and malnutrition among neonates, children, teenagers, pregnant, lactating mothers, and women of reproductive age, a new programme 'Anemia Mukta Poushtika Karnataka' has been approved by the cabinet, which will work towards conducting comprehensive screening, treatment, awareness creation and capacity building of health workers, across the state. This will be done at an estimated cost of Rs 185.75 crore.