HYDERABAD: What made the government reconsider its decision to table the bill enhancing reservations for BCs, SCs, and STs in education, employment, and local body elections in the state Legislature on Tuesday.
If sources are to be believed, serious legal implications may have been the decisive factor. The state Cabinet, which met before the one-day session convened, extensively discussed the bill prepared by the Law department.
After deliberations and considering the views of officials regarding the legal issues likely to arise, the Cabinet was reluctant to proceed with tabling the bill, sources revealed.
They said that the government even informed the Legislative Council that it would table the bill. However, the government ultimately limited itself to passing a resolution, which was to be sent to the Centre.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka told the Council that the government would discuss and decide in the next session whether to enact a law or look for an alternative.
According to officials, the major legal hurdle in the way of introducing the bill is the 50% threshold set by the Supreme Court. To overcome this hurdle, any law passed by the state Legislature needs to be included in Schedule 9 of the Constitution through a constitutional amendment.
Another legal problem is Muslim reservations under BC (E) category. Currently, Muslims enjoy 4% reservation in the state and there are legal challenges to this pending before the Supreme Court.