VIJAYAWADA: BC Welfare Minister S Savitha and Agriculture Minister K Atchannaidu have informed that the State government will soon submit the draft BC Protection Bill to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) for its recommendations before introducing it in the State Assembly.
Speaking to the media after a high-level consultation on the draft legislation in Vijayawada on Wednesday, the Ministers said the proposed law aims to provide legal protection to members of Backward Classes (BCs), ensure they can live with dignity, and impose stringent punishment on those who harass or insult them based on caste or traditional occupations.
The meeting, chaired by Savitha, was attended by ministers, MLAs, MLCs, MPs, senior officials and legal experts.
The Ministers said suggestions from public representatives were collected and would be incorporated into the draft Bill. Consultations with BC association representatives at the district level would also be held before the legislation is finalised.
Savitha said the NDA government was fulfilling its election promise by enacting the BC Protection Act, and described it as the first legislation of its kind in the country exclusively aimed at protecting Backward Classes.
She said the proposed Act would make harassment or abuse of BCs on the basis of caste or occupation a punishable offence, and that special courts would be established to ensure speedy trial of cases registered under the Act.
She said the final draft would be sent to the NCBC, and once the commission grants its approval, the government will introduce the Bill in the Assembly. The State government would also work with the Centre to ensure that the Act is implemented at the earliest.
Asserting that the TDP has always prioritised the welfare of Backward Classes, she recalled that party founder NT Rama Rao introduced reservations for BCs, and that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh continue to support policies meant for their political, social and economic empowerment.
Atchannaidu said the coalition government’s objective was to enact a strong and effective law to safeguard BCs from discrimination.
“Though several laws exist in the country, there is no dedicated legislation specifically protecting Backward Classes,” he said.
The Agriculture Minister alleged that BC communities had faced discrimination during the previous YSRCP regime.