Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao called for increasing the overall reservation quota for the backward classes proportionate to their share in the State population.
Promising a special discussion on the issue of backward class reservation in the House, KCR told the State legislative Assembly on Monday that there was a need for a detail analysis of the issue.
Muslim minority constitutes 13 per cent of the population in Telangana and the recent survey by the Sudheer Committee and the State backward class Commission found 90 per cent of them economically and socially backward.
“There cannot be different laws for Tamil Nadu and Telangana,” he said. “We will request the Centre and the Supreme Court that Telangana should also get reservations like Tamil Nadu”, he said while replying to the debate on the State Budget.
He was referring to the different yardsticks for the reservation quota in different States. While Tamil Nadu has a total reservation quota of 69 per cent (including 3.5 per cent quota for the backward Muslims), in the case of Telangana, the Supreme Court has said that the total reservations should not cross the limit of 50 per cent. Presently the backward sections of Muslim minority in Telangana have only 4 per cent reservation and the total reservation in the State stands at 49 per cent — 25 per cent for the backward classes, 15 per cent for the Scheduled Castes and 7 per cent for the Scheduled Tribes. If the State Government passes the legislation of 12 per cent reservation each for the minorities and the STs, the total will go upto 74 per cent.
Interestingly while the BJP was raising hackles against the reservations to the poor Muslims in Telangana, the backward sections of the minorities were enjoying the benefits of reservation in all the southern States — including Andhra Pradesh where the BJP was sharing power with Telugu Desam.
Rejecting the criticism by the BJP against the proposal of increasing the reservation quota for the backward sections of Muslim minority in the State, “We are not proposing religion based reservation. We only want to increase the present quota and fulfill the promise made in the election manifesto”.
KCR told the House that his Government was gearing to increase the reservation for the Scheduled Tribes and the minorities and there will be a special discussion in the State Assembly within a week.
Earlier the Minister for industries and municipal administration K Taraka Rama Rao told the media that the population of backward classes was high in the State and there was a need for increasing their quota. “The centre should understand this and allow the State Government to increase the reservations on the lines of Tamil Nadu. The State should have the power to take key decisions on such issue to protest the interest of the people”.
Asserting that the reservations were not based on religion or community but on the backwardness, KTR lashed out at the BJP for its misleading propaganda. “Despite our clarification they are continuing with their propaganda”, he said referring to the allegations of the state BJP President K lakshman that the TRS Government was pursuing vote bank politics by giving reservations to Muslims.
KCR COMES OUT All GUNS BlAZING
In his speech in the State Assembly on Monday the Chief Minister countered the allegations of Opposition that the State Government had failed in solving the problems and fulfilling the promises.
listing out the achievements of his Government during last two-and-a-half years, the Chief Minister said that Telangana has become number one in welfare in the entire country. “Even the Prime Minister himself has praised Telangana in Chief Secretaries’ meeting and asked the Chief Ministers of other States to adopt it as a model. But l lakshman (BJP) and Uttam Kumar Reddy (Congress) can’t see this,” KCR quipped asking them to see the reality and be constructive in their criticisms.
He said that the State was following unique mix of the Amartya Sen and Arvind Panigarhiya models of economy.
He said that his Government had fulfilled the promise of making the State free of power shutdown. “We have successfully ended the power crisis which the state faced during the Congress rule”, he said.
The State Government has spent Rs12,136 crore on new transformers and sub stations and installed 1,267 new transformers during last two-and-a half-years. While there will be no power cut in Telangana, neighboring State ruled by Congress was facing unscheduled power cuts, he said rejecting the allegations of the Congress members.
On the welfare of the farmers, he said that the Government had waived the farm loans worth Rs17,000 crore. For the first time in 60 years, 81 lakh beedi workers were going to get pension. Expressing his dissatisfaction over whatever was done to uplift the backward classes, he said that their conditions were not good and the Government will continue its efforts for their welfare.
Asserting that his promise of free KG to PG education will be a cent percent reality, KCR said that his aim was to make education policy of Telangana the best in the country.
He announced recruitment of 24,000 teachers in the State.
He said that the Government had made a beginning by focusing on improving the educational condition of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the Minorities.
On the welfare of the scheduled castes, KCR said that apart from the funds under the sub-plan, the Government will earmark Rs1,000 crore to Rs1,500 crore next years for the welfare of Dalits.
“The Finance Secretary should be accountable to SC and ST committees of the House and also report to the House on the utilisation of the budget”, he said.
KCR said that the his Government was on course to achieve the targets. “Dare to dream big. Nobody believed when we said Telangana will be achieved. We have achieved it”, he said adding that all the dreams will be achieved.