Telangana Cabinet To Discuss Local Body Polls, BC Quota Today
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will chair the meeting, which is likely to approve the 300-page report submitted by the Independent Expert Working Group headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy.
Hyderabad:The Cabinet is scheduled to meet at the Secretariat on Friday with an agenda that includes local body elections, backward class reservations, industrial safety reforms and gig workers’ welfare.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will chair the meeting, which is likely to approve the 300-page report submitted by the Independent Expert Working Group headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy.
The report, based on the caste census, includes the formulation of a Composite Backwardness Index (CBI) for over 240 sub-castes. The Cabinet is expected to ratify the CBI findings, a crucial step in determining targeted welfare policies for Backward Classes.
The Cabinet will also deliberate on the Draft Telangana Gig and Platform Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2025, which proposes a framework for registration, insurance and social security of gig economy workers in the state.
Another important issue on the agenda is the report submitted by an expert committee on the Sigachi Industries chemical plant explosion at Pashamylaram, which claimed 40 lives and left many injured.
The committee, led by CSIR-IICT scientist B. Venkateshwar Rao, was tasked with probing the cause of the explosion, examining lapses in safety compliance and recommending preventive measures. The report has suggested the formation of an Industrial Management Authority and dedicated Fire Safety Authorities for industrial zones. The cabinet is expected to take a decision on implementing these proposals.
The Cabinet will also assess the situation related to local body elections. In its last meeting on July 10, the cabinet cleared an ordinance to amend the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, to facilitate 42 per cent reservations for BCs — pushing total reservations to 70 per cent, beyond the 50 per cent cap set by the Supreme Court. The ordinance was sent to the Governor but is still awaiting approval.
With the High Court’s deadline of July 30 approaching for finalising BC reservations in local bodies, the cabinet will discuss the legal and administrative course of action in case the Governor withholds assent.