HYDERABAD: Congress MP Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday stated that 10 per cent reservation for STs was not achieved and the proposed tribal university was delayed because of the drama being enacted by TRS and BJP.
Addressing the media in New Delhi, Uttam reminded that in 1986, the then State government had increased reservation for STs from 4 to 6 per cent by issuing GO No 167, without any consent from the Centre. “Why has it taken the present government eight years to raise reservation for STs from 6 per cent to 10 per cent when it could have been done by issuing a simple GO?” he asked. Uttam alleged that since 2014, the TRS government has not given patta for even an inch of podu lands.
The MP said that while Congress had issued 96,676 pattas recognising the tribals’ rights to forest lands in undivided AP, the TRS government has been dispossessing tribals of their podu lands under cultivation.
He demanded the Chief Minapologise to the tribals of Telangana for not fulfilling any of his election promises.