DVS doesn't scale down benefits to Lingayats

BANGALORE: Outgoing chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda got an opportunity last week to take revenge on his detractor former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa. A cabinet decision would have altered the reservation benefits for Lingayats/ Veerashaivas but though it came up at the July 6 cabinet meeting, it was deferred.
The matter pertained to scaling down reservation benefits for 19 sub-sects of Lingayats, which had been in force since 2002 due to a printing mistake in the government order.
The lacuna came to light following complaints from backward communities that some Lingayat sub-sects were misusing reservation benefits meant for them (BCs). As against their reservation entitlement of 5 %, they were enjoying 15% (in education and employment). The Karnataka Backward Classes Commission recommended removal of Lingayats from Category 1 and 2A and include them under Category 3B.
"According to the March 2002 government order, all Lingayats had been categorized under 3B (only 5% reserved for this class). But due to a mistake in the spellings of castes, the Lingayat sub-sects were wrongly availing of the benefits,'' sources said. Once the lapse was noticed, the department for social welfare wrote to the government to scale down the quota. But the subject was never listed in cabinet meetings all these years.
Had the cabinet approved the decision, 19 Lingayat sub-sects -- Hoogara, Janagama, Banajiga, Banagara, Ganiga, Sadara, Aradhya, Reddy, among others -- would have been deprived of benefits. In January 2009, Yeddyurappa tried to rectify the lapse by bringing these 19 sub-sects under Category 3 (B) which is their eligibility. But within a few days, the government order was withdrawn following protests.
Reservations for backward classes
* 5% for Category 1 (mainly Golla and Uppara community)
* 15% for 2A (mainly Kuruba and Idiga)
* 4% for 2B (minorities)
* 4% for 3A (Vokkaliga and Kodavas)
* 5% for 3B (Lingayats and Bunts)