Karnataka’s Charmakar Communities Demand Special Budget Allocation for Comprehensive Development
Bengaluru: The Akhil Karnataka Charmakar Mahasabha has urged the Karnataka government to allocate substantial funds in the 2026-27 annual budget to drive the holistic development of the state’s Chamar and Charmakar communities. In a press statement issued on Friday, State President Bhimarao Powar highlighted the historical marginalization of these groups, who remain socially, educationally, politically, and economically backward despite millennia of contribution to the society.
ಚರ್ಮಕಾರ ಸಮುದಾಯಗಳಿಗೆ ಪ್ರತ್ಯೇಕ ಮೀಸಲಾತಿ, ವಿಶೇಷ ಅನುದಾನಕ್ಕೆ ಆಗ್ರಹ: 2026-27 ಬಜೆಟ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ನಿರೀಕ್ಷೆ
Powar’s primary demand centers on financial support for the leather industry, a traditional occupation of the community. He called for a special grant to either restructure the existing Leather Industries Development Corporation or to establish a new, dedicated corporation. This, he argued, would provide a much-needed institutional framework for economic empowerment.
A significant point of contention raised by the Mahasabha is the current system of internal reservation for Scheduled Castes. Powar demanded a formal government order to reallocate the existing 6% internal reservation meant for ‘Group A’ within the SC quota. “At least 2% of this should be exclusively reserved for the Charmakar communities,” he stated. He challenged the traditional ‘Left-Hand’ and ‘Right-Hand’ caste classifications that often determine reservation benefits. “There is no mention of this division in the Constitution, the Government Gazette, or any official departmental order. It has no legal standing,” Powar asserted, arguing that such informal classifications have historically deprived his community of their rightful share.
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The Mahasabha has also raised demands regarding land allocation. The government has previously sanctioned 81 acres for the socio-economic development of Scheduled Castes and Tribes. Powar has requested that at least 10 acres of this land be allotted in the name of the “Akhil Karnataka Charmakar Mahasabha” to establish community-specific infrastructure.
ಹರಳಯ್ಯನವರ ನೆಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಅನ್ಯಾಯ: ಚರ್ಮಕಾರ ಮಹಾಸಭಾ ಜಮೀನು ಹಂಚಿಕೆ ಆಗ್ರಹ, ಸರ್ಕಾರಕ್ಕೆ ಮನವಿ
In a separate but related grievance, Powar pointed to the misappropriation of land granted in the name of the 12th-century social reformer Shivasharana Haralayya. “The government allotted one acre of land in Rautthanahalli, Bengaluru, in his name, intended for the Samagar and Chamar communities. However, it has been usurped by individuals from other castes and has not reached our people,” he alleged. The Mahasabha has demanded that this order be amended and the land be officially handed over to their organization to ensure it benefits the intended beneficiaries.
