Karnataka okays bill for 4% Muslim quota in contracts

Fri, 21 March 2025

18:07

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Dy CM DK Shivakumar

The Karnataka legislative assembly on Friday passed a Bill to provide 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in public contracts, amid strong protests by the opposition BJP.

BJP MLAs climbed on the podium where Speaker U T Khader's chair is placed and threw papers at him.

On Khader's direction, Marshals evicted the MLAs, who tried to surround the speaker's chair.

Leader of Opposition, R Ashoka, termed the Bill "unconstitutional".

The 'Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2025' was piloted by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil.

The Cabinet on last Friday had approved an amendment to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act, reserving for Muslims 4 per cent of contracts in (civil) works valued up to Rs 2 crore, and goods/services procurement contracts up to Rs 1 crore.

This was announced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in his 2025-26 Budget, presented on March 7.

At present, Karnataka has reservation in civil works contracts for SC/STs (24 per cent) and OBC contractors belonging to Category-1 (4 per cent) and Category-2A (15 per cent).

There were demands to add Muslims under Category-2B of the OBCs with a reservation of 4 per cent.

The BJP has termed the Karnataka government's move to provide four per cent reservation to Muslims in government contracts an "unconstitutional misadventure", and had said it will oppose it at all levels, including challenging it in court, until it is rolled back.

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