AP Assembly Passes SC Bill

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday approved the Scheduled Castes (Subclassification) Bill 2025 after discussions, which is hailed as a significant step to promote Dalit welfare.

Social welfare minister Dola Bala Veeranjaneyulu introduced the bill in the assembly. Pamarru MLA Varla Kumar Raja said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu deserved praise for making this possible.

Madakasira legislator M.S. Raju claimed that the reclassification of SCs would ensure equitable job opportunities for them in recruitment exams such as DSC, ensuring justice to all castes within the SC category.

He noted that former CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had the temerity to argue that such a classification was impossible.

Prathipadu MLA Burla Ramanjaneyulu also praised the bill, recalling that the Naidu-led state government had allocated Rs 36 lakh crore to eliminate manual scavenging and restore dignity to Dalit communities.

Ramanjaneyulu said SCs in the state were divided into three groups—Group 1 (12 castes), Group 2 (18 castes) and Group 3 (26 castes). A unique 200-point internal roster system had been established to ensure a fair allocation of opportunities to them. Andhra Pradesh, he said, was the only state to set up such a system.

The MLA praised minister Nara Lokesh for implementing the internal reservation roster for 17,000 jobs, which, he said, instilled confidence among Dalits by giving equal representation to all sub-groups.

After the approval of the SC classification bill, minister Nadendla Manohar tabled the Panchayat Raj (amendment) bill, which was passed unanimously.