Maharashtra govt will ensure Muslims get 5 pc education quota: Malik
Thane: The Maharashtra government will ensure Muslims get five per cent reservation in educational institutions and the process will be carried out in accordance with the law, state Minorities Affairs Minister Nawab Malik said here on Saturday.
He said Maharashtra BJP leaders, led by former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, were trying to create confusion among people on reservations to the Muslim community but the Maha Vikas Aghadi will manage to dispel all doubts.
Malik, on Friday, had announced in the Legislative Council that the Uddhav Thackeray government had proposed to provide five per cent reservation to Muslims in educational institutes, though his cabinet colleague and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde had, hours later, said no such decision had been taken yet.
"We will implement reservations for Muslims after completing all legal requirements. It will be done without disturbing the quota kept for those from the SC, ST and OBC communities. The BJP is misguiding these communities by claiming Muslim reservation will reduce their share," Malik said.
The Congress-NCP DF government in the state had announced 5 per cent quota for Muslims in jobs and education in October, 2014, though the Bombay High Court scrapped reservations for the community in jobs but allowed it in education.
Malik alleged the previous BJP government under Fadnavis did not pursue reservations for Muslims in education despite this order.
He was speaking to reporters at a job fair held by BNN College in Bhiwandi township here.
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Karnataka tanks hold strong water storage: Minister Boseraju
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister N S Boseraju on Tuesday said that minor irrigation tanks across the state are holding good water storage levels, with the 3,788 tanks under the department’s jurisdiction providing life-sustaining water to a large agricultural command area of approximately 4,45,009 hectares.
In a statement, the Minister for Minor Irrigation, Boseraju, said that according to the latest data released by the department, a vast majority of the 3,788 minor irrigation tanks in the state have maintained good water levels.
Detailing the storage status, the report said that even in peak summer, 165 tanks are full.
Additionally, 1,355 tanks have retained more than 51 per cent capacity, 1,143 tanks have water levels up to 50 per cent, and 959 tanks are at roughly 30 per cent storage capacity.
District-wise, Davanagere leads the state in water storage, with 27 tanks remaining full even during summer. Chikkamagaluru follows closely with 46 full tanks, indicating strong water retention.
Other top-performing districts include Hassan, Tumakuru, and Kolar.
Boseraju, who also holds the portfolio of Science and Technology, said 1,184 tanks are being actively filled through 145 tank-filling lift irrigation projects under the Minor Irrigation Department.
He attributed the strong water retention to good monsoon rainfall and effective water management strategies of the government.
“It is encouraging to see such a substantial volume of water stored across our minor irrigation tanks by the end of March, remaining largely intact even as summer progresses. The fact that 1,355 tanks are nearly full and 165 tanks are brimming is a testament to the success of our tank-filling programmes and rejuvenation initiatives,” he said.
“By ensuring a continuous flow of water to these tanks through lift irrigation projects across departments, as well as supplying treated and surface water to the Bayaluseeme districts, we have taken proactive measures to prevent them from drying out during the summer,” the minister said.
According to him, these data points confirm that efforts to build a water-secure Karnataka are yielding strong results at the grassroots level.
“This water wealth preserved in our tanks will bring direct benefits to lakhs of farmers across the 4,45,009-hectare command area,” he added.
