Quota in govt projects: cap on cost to be doubled for SC/ST contractors

The state government has decided to double the Rs 50-lakh limit prescribed for the quota in government projects for contractors of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The decision comes ahead of the Assembly polls.

At present, the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act provides for reservation in tender works for the Scheduled Castes at 17.15% and the Scheduled Tribes at 6.95% in all works costing less than Rs 50 lakh. The limit will be increased to Rs one crore by amending the legislation.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the decision here on Sunday.

He was speaking after inaugurating 'Valmiki Bhavan' in Bengaluru constructed by the Karnataka Nayaka Community Welfare Association.

Reservation

Siddaramaiah said he was in favour of the demand from the Valmiki community that they be provided reservation in education and employment in proportion to their population.

The chief minister said as many as 15 seats were reserved for STs in the state and the Congress had won 11 of them in the 2013 Assembly polls.

"Our tally this time will increase," he said and added that the programmes of the state government had been accepted by the community.