DH News Service
BANGALORE, May 30

The State Government which has finalised the reservation for the post of mayor, deputy mayor for four city corporations and presidents and vice-presidents of 140 urban local bodies is yet to notify the same.

According to Minister of State for Municipal Administration Mallikharjun Nagappa, the notification would be issued tomorrow. The norms followed by the previous government for reserving the posts would be followed this time too, he contended.

However, there were indications that some minor changes would be effected as more than 50 representations from the Congress leaders and workers seeking changes in the reservations has been received by the Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by Forest Minister K H Ranganath, constituted to look into the reservation issue.

Mr Ranganath today told reporters that that some suggestions made in the representations would also be taken into account before finalising the reservation. However, he said the government would not interfere in the local bodies which have been won by the Opposition.

The cabinet sub-committee today held its third and final meeting at Vidhana Soudha. Both Mr Ranganath and Mr Mallikharjun Nagappa briefed Chief Minister S M Krishna in the evening about the decision taken by the committee.

Sources in the Chief Minister’s office said that Mr Krishna reportedly advised Mr Ranganath not to hurry through the reservation issue. However, Mr Nagappa told reporters after his meeting Mr Krishna that the notification would be positively issued tomorrow.

Mr Nagappa on Tuesday had stated that the notification would be issued this evening. He didn’t offer any explanation for the postponement of notifying the reservations.

Asked whether the government was under pressure from the Congress leaders to modify the reservation norms, the Minister replied in the negative. He said “We are following the norms followed by the previous government. We are not under pressure from any quarter”.