Centre will decide on inclusion of any community to ST list, state only recommends: Siddaramaiah

Kalaburagi (Karnataka), Sep 17 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said the decision to include any community under the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list will be decided by the Centre and the state government will only send the recommendation.

Amid opposition from some ST communities against the proposal to include Kurubas under the Scheduled Tribes list, he said, there is no need for anyone to oppose, and if the community is eligible they will be included.

The Karnataka government is currently mulling inclusion of the Kurubas, the community to which Siddaramaiah belongs, under the ST list.

"This (move) was done during the previous government itself. There is no need for anyone to oppose. The central government will decide. We (state) will only make recommendations," Siddaramaiah said in response to a question on opposition by Valmiki community to the inclusion of Kurubas under ST list.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "There is no need for anyone to oppose. If the community has to come under ST, they will be included. If not, they will not be." Kurubas currently come under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

They are seen as a dominant OBC community in the state after the Lingayats and Vokkaligas.

Among five OBC categories in Karnataka, who get an overall 32 per cent reservation, Kurubas come under Category 2A which has a 15 per cent quota.

To add any community to ST list, a recommendation has to be made by the state government to the Centre.

Responding to a question on BJP leaders' criticism against him and the government in connection with the social and educational survey (caste census), the CM said, "R Ashoka (Leader of Opposition in Assembly) and BJP speak politically... socio educational survey is being done to know the social and educational status of the people, so that accordingly developmental programmes can be planned." The state's Social and Educational Survey, popularly known as the 'caste census' will be conducted between September 22 and October 7 at an estimated cost of Rs 420 crore.

On the BJP delegation complaining to the Governor, regarding caste census list, with at least 46 castes that contain dual identities, having both Christian and Hindu caste name, the CM said, "Are they not citizens of this country? Are Christians and Muslims not citizens? Whatever people say their caste is--to the enumerators during the enumeration--it will be entered accordingly." Highlighting that castes with dual identities like 'Kuruba Christian', 'Brahmin Christian', 'Vokkaliga Christian' among others, may lead to confusion and give opportunity for a large-scale religious conversion, the BJP on Tuesday urged the Governor to intervene and issue necessary instructions to the government. PTI KSU KH