The last hurdle to extending benefits under Article 371(J) of the Constitution to people of Hyderabad-Karnataka region was cleared on Tuesday with the Union Cabinet giving its approval to the notification of the State government conferring special responsibility on the Governor in respect to the region.
The Governor has been given special powers for establishing a development board for the region consisting of Gulbarga, Bidar, Raichur, Yadgir, Koppal and Bellary districts, and extend special reservation for the people of the region in education and employment.
Railway Minister M. Mallikarjun Kharge talking over telephone from New Delhi said that the proposal would now be sent to President Pranab Mukherjee for his final seal of approval and then published in the official gazette. “Now, it is the responsibility of the State government to extend benefits to the people of the region and undo the injustice of all these years,” he said.
Board members
As per the decision taken by the State government, the Hyderabad Karnataka Region Development Board, with statutory powers, would have a chairman. It will be headquartered in Gulbarga. All the district in-charge Ministers would be its members and one of the district in-charge Ministers would be nominated the chairman. Eight members of the Assembly, one of the presidents of the Zilla Panchayats, the Mayor and president of the urban local bodies of the districts under the jurisdiction of the board and an MP from the region would be members of the board for a one-year term by rotation.
The Regional Commissioner of Gulbarga Revenue Division would also be a member, with Secretary of the Planning Department and the Finance Secretary.
Sources said that 70 per cent of the seats in the universities in the region and educational institutions, including medical, dental, engineering colleges, technical, professional and vocational institutions, would be reserved for the people of the region. The sources said that as much as eight per cent of available seats in every course of study will be reserved in universities and educational institutions outside the region for people from the region.
Similar reservations have been made for employment in government services within and outside the region.
