Bhatti Blames Centre For Stalling 42% BC Quota Bill

Nalgonda: The Deputy Chief Minister, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, on Monday said the BJP government at the Centre lacked commitment towards providing 42 per cent reservation for BCs in education, employment and political opportunities, an issue that had become a major hurdle for the state government in fulfilling its promise of extending 42 per cent quota to BCs in the ongoing gram panchayat elections.

Speaking at a meeting at the Congress district office in Khammam, during the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed District Congress Committee (DCC) president Nuthi Sathyanarayana, he said that soon after the Congress came to power in Telangana, the government conducted a caste census to fulfil its commitment on BC reservations. The Telangana Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a Bill proposing 42 per cent quota for BCs, and the state government subsequently sent the Bill to Governor Jishnu Dev Varma. The Bill has now reached Delhi and is reportedly stuck at Rashtrapati Bhavan, he added.

“A delegation led by TPCC president Bomma Mahesh Kumar Goud went to New Delhi and staged a dharna to mount pressure on the Centre for approval of the Bill,” he said.

He recalled that the government proceeded with the gram panchayat elections following the directions of the court, and asserted that the Congress had taken care to ensure justice for the weaker sections in these elections.

Criticising the previous BRS government, he said that despite repeated pleas from poor families for housing, the former government ignored their requests and denied them the opportunity to own a house during its 10-year rule. After coming to power, the Congress government revived the Indiramma Housing Scheme and is extending ₹5 lakh to each beneficiary for construction. In the first phase, 3,500 houses have been sanctioned in each Assembly constituency, with the state spending ₹22,000 crore on the programme.

He said Telangana is the only state in the country supplying fine rice to ration card holders, benefitting 93 lakh families. This initiative places an annual burden of ₹13,500 crore on the state exchequer, but the government would not step back from supporting the poor under any circumstances, he asserted.

Referring to criticism that the promise of providing ₹20,000 crore annual interest-free loans to SHG women was unrealistic, he said the Congress government had already extended ₹26,000 crore worth of zero-interest loans in just one year, proving critics wrong. So far, the government has spent ₹1.10 lakh crore solely on welfare schemes, he added.

Assuring that dedicated party workers would receive due recognition, he called on the cadre to work unitedly for the victory of Congress candidates in the gram panchayat elections.

Revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said that recognition and opportunities would be given to leaders and cadre who work with dedication. He also appealed to party workers to strive for the victory of Congress candidates.

Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said the Congress government is committed to the welfare of all and to the development of the state. He urged party leaders and workers to demonstrate unity and ensure victory in the gram panchayat elections.