Special Assembly session soon on quota for STs, Muslims: Telangana CM
Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday said a special session of the state Legislative Assembly would be convened soon to take up the issue of increasing reservation for tribals and minorities.
Rao made the announcement in the state Legislative Assembly, which was later adjourned sine die after passing the Appropriation Bills.
He said his government is keen on increasing quota for tribals and Muslims as promised by his party -- Telangana Rashtra Samithi -- in the 2014 Legislative Assembly elections.
Referring to BJP's opposition to the government's efforts to enhance reservation for Muslims, Rao said the quota is proposed not on the basis of religion, but on the basis of backwardness.
"Laxman's party (MLA and BJP state unit president) may have some objections on giving (reservation) to other social groups. We are not proposing religious reservations. We said in our election manifesto that we will make some increase in what are already being implemented in the state.
"The (backward classes) commission reports are under preparation. If you (Speaker) convene Assembly in another four-five days, we will discuss for a whole day and definitely increase reservation to those we promised," he said in the Assembly.
Rao said the state government would increase reservation in Telangana as per the model adopted in Tamil Nadu (in view of the cap on quotas at 50 per cent).
Sixty-nine percent reservation is being provided in Tamil Nadu by getting it included in the 9th Schedule of Constitution.
Rao added that the state government would approach the Centre and also the Supreme Court for the implementation of increased quota (after passing a bill in Assembly for the purpose) as done in the case of Tamil Nadu.
Besides STs, backward sections among Muslims presently have quota in the state.
BJP has been organising protests against the TRS government's proposal to increase the quota for Muslims, saying it is an unconstitutional move.
