K'taka govt seeks time to submit interim report on reservation in HC

Bengaluru, Dec 29 The Karnataka government on Thursday sought time in the high court to submit a report by the Commission for Backward Classes regarding providing reservation to the Panchamasali sub-sect of the Lingayat community.

The government made the submission before the division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Nawaj and Justice Shivashankare Gowda. A PIL was submitted regarding the matter by one D.G. Raghavendra, a resident of Bengaluru.

Advocate Prabhuling Navadgi said that the report has been submitted to the government in a sealed cover. The government is in a stage of verifying the report, but it has not taken any action in this regard.

The counsel for the petitioner advocate Manjunath stated that the report has already been submitted by the commission. In this regard a legislator had commented to the media that the government giving reservation to Panchamasali sub sect is almost certain. The court should give directions to the government to submit the report to the court, he added.

The bench asked the petitioner whether there was public interest in the PIL. It also questioned the urgency and adjourned the inquiry of the matter to January first week.

The petitioner explained that the Commission for Backward Classes had rejected the demand of providing reservation to Panchamasaali sub sect under 2A category in 2000. The government is all set to provide reservation on the basis of the interim report, which is illegal.

The people of Panchamasali sub sect have taken back their agitation after ruling BJP assured them of providing reservation. They had threatened that if the reservation was not declared, they would lay siege to the Belagavi Suvarna Vidhana Soudha.