Amid din, Karnataka passes Bill providing 4% reservation for Muslims in public contracts

The Cabinet last Friday had approved an amendment to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act, reserving for Muslims 4% of contracts in (civil) works valued up to `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%) and OBC contractors belonging to Category-1 (4%) and Category-2A (15%). The amendment to the KTPP Act extended the reservation benefits to the 2B category, which has 4% reservation for Muslims.

The Bill was passed at the end of the last day of the Budget session after the suspension of 18 MLAs for disrespecting the Speaker’s chair. BJP and JD(S) legislators submitted a joint petition to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot against the Bill, which they claimed, was meant to “only polarize the societies” and would “destroy the social fabric, harmony among the religious societies”.

The petition urged the Governor to cancel the “unconstitutionally moved Bill”.

As per the Bill, it aims to overcome the unemployment problem in the Backward Classes and to encourage their participation in construction works, not exceeding 4% for the persons belonging to the category 2B of backward classes (Muslims), out of the total number of government construction works up to Rs 2 crore.

Earlier in the day, two other Bills which provided for a significant hike in the salaries of ministers and legislators were also passed.

The Karnataka Ministers Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill on salaries for ministers provided for a hike in the monthly salary of the chief minister from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh and of the ministers from Rs 60,000 to Rs 1.25 lakh. Similarly, sumptuary allowance for CM and ministers was increased from Rs 4.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. Salaries of ministers of state also increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000, apart from hike in other allowances provided to them.

The recurring expenditure due to the hike will be Rs 10 crore per annum, the Bill said.

The Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances (Amendment) Bill provided for a hike in the monthly salaries of the Speaker of Legislative Assembly and Chairman of Legislative Council from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.25 lakh, and sumptuary allowance from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. The monthly salaries of the Leader of Opposition will increase from Rs 60,000 to Rs 80,000 and of MLAs and MLCs from Rs 40,000 to Rs 80,000. The total recurring expenditure due to the hike will be Rs 52 crore per annum, the Bill said.

Other allowances of MLAs and MLCs, and pensions of former legislators were also increased. “There is a considerable increase in the cost of living. Therefore, it is considered necessary to enhance the salaries and allowances of the parliamentary functionaries and the legislators…” the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill said.