60 per cent Muslims in Telangana below poverty line, panel told
Govt constituted the commission to study social, educational backwardness among Muslims

Hyderabad: Muslim leaders of various political parties and organisations, which are fighting for reservations, on Saturday told the three-member Commission of inquiry looking into the issue that more than 60 per cent of Muslims in Telangana State are living below the poverty line.
The government, which has promised 12 per cent reservations to Muslims, has constituted the commission headed by IAS officer G. Sudheer to study the social and educational backwardness among Muslims in Telangana.
Participating in the public hearing along with party MLAs here at Exhibition Grounds, MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi said that the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh government had faced a legal battle in providing four per cent reservations to Muslims due to lapses in collecting data and other material to prove social, economic and educational backwardness among Muslims.
Submitting a 68-page memorandum to the commission, he said the recommendations right from the Mandal Commission to the Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission had proved that a majority of Muslims were living in worse conditions than SCs and STs.
He suggested that the commission have an exclusive hearing of MPs, MLAs and MLCs belonging to the Muslim community from all parties, so that they can put forth their views for the improvement of living conditions of the Muslims.
Mohammed Ali Shabbir, leader of Opposition in the Telangana Legislative Council, M.S. Prabhakar Whip in Council, Rajya Sabha MP, M.A. Khan and TPCC Secretary Mohammed Javeed Ahmed also met the Commission.
Mohammed Ali Shabbir urged the commission to gather comprehensive data from all available resources to prove backwardness of Muslims in the state to facilitate providing 12 per cent reservation.
Submitting a memorandum, he said the commission should rely on latest statistics for its study. He pointed out that similar exercises were carried out in the past to study the socio-economic and educational conditions of Muslims.