Telangana government to ensure 21 per cent quota for SC/ST in contracts

Hyderabad: The state government will implement 21 per cent quota for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in awarding engineering works and contracts. Of this, SCs will get 15 per cent and STs 6 per cent in proportion with their population.

Mr Errolla Srinivas, chairman of the SC, ST Commission, had written to the state government on April 25 seeking quotas to help SCs and STs turn contractors. The Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) has been pitching for these quotas for long but did not materialise so far.

Irrigation minister T. Harish Rao took up the initiative and pursued the issue with Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. The CM approved the measure, following which the government issued orders giving quotas to SCs and STs.

Mr Srinivas thanked the CM and Mr Harish Rao for fulfilling the long-pending wish of SCs and STs within a month of requesting the state government.

Mr Harish Rao said works in departments such as roads and buildings, panchayat raj and irrigation would be reserved for SCs and STs to encourage Dalits to become contractors.

He said works worth up to '1 crore would be awarded to SC/ ST contractors without the need to pay earnest money deposit (EMD) to the government.

“This is the first time in the country where reservations are provided in awarding contracts. Telangana state has become a role model for all other states in ensuing social justice for all. We were the first to implement reservations in appointment of market committees," Mr Rao stated.

He said the government would give free training to engineering entrepreneurs from SCs, STs in National Academy of Construction, Hyderabad, to acquire required skills to become successful contractors