KPSC reforms: Panel to be constituted to choose Commission chief, members

Close on the heels of an elaborate debate in the legislature on the need for reforms in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), the State Cabinet on Friday decided to constitute a “broad-based search committee” to choose suitable personalities to be appointed to the KPSC and discuss the need to reduce the number of members.

According to sources, the proposed committee, which comprises the chief secretary among others, is being constituted to choose the right candidates for the posts of the KPSC chairperson and members as per the recommendations of the P.C. Hota Committee that had looked into making the recruitment process transparent and efficient.

Reducing members

It is also learned that the Cabinet decided to examine the proposal for reducing the number of KPSC members. Presently, the Commission has 16 members, including the chairperson. This had come under criticism in the Assembly, with Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok pointing out that the UPSC of Uttar Pradesh has fewer members, though it is a bigger State. Even the Administrative Reforms Committee led by T.M. Vijay Bhaskar had recommended downsizing of the KPSC.

According to sources, a decision on the exact level of downsizing is expected to be taken in the next meeting of the State Cabinet. The downsizing of the KPSC will have to get the Governor’s nod.

The Cabinet is also learned to have decided to bring in a Bill to amend the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Act, 1999, to implement the budgetary proposal of providing a four per cent reservation in public works contracts for 2(B), Muslims. 

Gram Swaraj Bill

According to sources, the Cabinet also decided to bring in a Bill to amend the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Act to provide for one-time regularisation of nearly 96 lakh properties located on revenue layouts in rural areas.

The government has announced that these properties would be brought under e-swathu through a one-time regularisation. The idea of providing a one-time regularisation is to bring these properties on unauthorised layouts into the tax property tax network so that the local bodies would get resources.