Accusing the government of changing the reservation matrix recommended by the Principal Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, for the posts of chiefs of zilla and taluk panchayats to prevent the Opposition parties from capturing these bodies, Janata Dal (Secular) leader and the former Minister H.D. Revanna on Friday demanded a public apology from RDPR Minister H.K. Patil. “Mr. Patil should tender an apology for going against the spirit of decentralisation of power for political gain of the Congress,” Mr. Revanna alleged at a press conference here.
He claimed that the changed reservation list brought out by the government was in violation of the norms evolved by the government in 2005 for determining the reservation category for different ZPs and TPs. He urged Mr. Patil to make public the person who brought pressure on him to make such changes in the reservation list in violation of the norms. As per the recommendation, the president’s post in ZP in the Chief Minister’s home district of Mysuru was supposed to be reserved for Scheduled Tribes and that of Mr. Patil’s home district of Gadag for Scheduled Castes. But, changes had been made in the reservation list for these ZPs to suit political interests, he alleged. Similarly, the government had changed the proposed reservation list for six ZPs, including that of his home district Hassan, he alleged.
He said the JD(S) had filed objections to the draft reservation list and also hinted that it may approach the court if the objections were not considered.
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H.D. Revanna,
JD(S) leader