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The Hindu Bureau
In a bid to bring pressure on the Centre to fund long-pending projects in North Karnataka region, the Congress government moved five resolutions, which were adopted by the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
Establish AIIMS
Pointing out the long-pending demand of people in Raichur seeking establishment of All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the resolution, citing earlier communications by the Chief Minister, urged the Centre to establish AIIMS in Raichur immediately.
In another resolution, Karnataka has urged the Centre to shift at least 25 of the 73 Centrally-administered and important research institutions now located in regions around Bengaluru and Mysuru to North Karnataka and Kalyana Karnataka regions in phases to ensure balanced development.
The resolutions were moved by the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil.
On KK, ethanol quota
Another resolution adopted urged the Centre to release ₹5,000 crore as matching grant to Kalyana Karnataka region on the lines of the Vidharba development model, as it is one of backward regions in the State.
The State government, which recently came under pressure from sugarcane growers over the price for cane, also moved a resolution urging the Centre to allocate ethanol production as per the ethanol producing capacity in the State and protect the interests of farmers. The allocation should be on the lines of those given to Gujarat, Haryana and Bihar, it said.
In the irrigation sector, two resolutions on Upper Krishna Project and Mahadayi project were adopted. They urged the Centre to declare to Upper Krishna Project -3 as a national project and release funds besides notifying the Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal -II award in the gazette that will allow utilisation of 173 tmcft of water allocated by the tribunal.
Kalasa-Banduri project
The legislature also adopted a resolution urging the Centre to provide forest and environmental clearance to Kalasa-Banduri canal project to utilise 3.9 tmcft of water for drinking water purpose as per the Mahadayi tribunal award. Though there is no court stay, the legally bound project is being obstructed, and the Centre has not given permission, the resolution said.
Taking exception to the choice of words as “discrimination by the Centre,” Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok said, “We are not opposed to any of the resolutions. But have you shifted any departments to Suvarna Soudha, which is now empty? What have you done before urging Centre to shift its institutions?”
Reservation under Schedule IX
The Karnataka Legislative Assembly unanimously resolved to urge the Centre to include reservation in Karnataka provided to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and backward classes that has exceeded 50% under Schedule IX of the Constitution.
The provisions of The Karnataka Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (Reservation of Appointment), Act, 1990, and The Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and Appointments of Posts and Services under the State) Act, 2022, rules and regulations that have been formed should be inserted in Schedule IX, said the resolution. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil said, “It is imperative to protect social justice.”
While the Supreme Court has capped the reservation at 50% in its landmark judgement in Indira Sawhney case, total reservation has gone up to 56% in Karnataka. While 32% has been provided for backward classes, 17 % and 7 % have been provided to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes respectively.
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