Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has hiked the reservation for women in government jobs to 33 per cent from the present 30 per cent.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s had committed in the current year’s budget to increase women’s job quotas by three percentage points. The legislature committee on women and child welfare headed by Congress MLA Malikayya Guttedar had recommended the hike.

Of the 5.56 lakh government employees in the State, 1.60 lakh are women.

The government order to this effect issued on September 11, was gazetted on September 14. The Karnataka Civil Services Rules, 1978 have been amended to increase the job quota for women. Prior to that, the government had invited suggestions and objections from the public and given 15 days time.

The government has not specified any date for implementing the order.

Guttedar said the government had not received any objections. Hence, all departments would be directed to implement the revised rules, he added.

Gujarat made a similar revision in women’s job quota in October 2014. There is no reservation for women in central government jobs.

Karnataka has reserved 50 per cent seats for women in elections to local bodies, including the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike. But there is no such reservation yet in the legislature and Parliament elections. Here, the reservation is based on caste.

(Agencies)