HYDERABAD: The process of finalising the Congress government’s plan to increase reservations for the Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections seems to be picking up momentum.
The state government has convened a special session of the Legislative Assembly on February 7 to approve the socioeconomic, education, employment, political and caste survey report.
As per Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s instructions, the officials will submit the final report by February 2 to the Cabinet Sub-Committee.
The six-member committee, headed by Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, will then place it in the Cabinet meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for February 5. After the Cabinet approves the report, the government will convene the special Assembly session on February 7 to discuss and get the final nod.
After the Cabinet and Assembly approve the report, the Dedicated Commission on BC reservations, headed by retired IAS officer Busani Venkateshwara Rao, will use the data from the survey report to make its recommendations on increasing reservations for BCs in the upcoming local bodies elections.
It may be recalled that the Congress, during the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections, promised to increase these reservations to 42 per cent after conducting a caste census in the state.
ECI permission needed to hold Cabinet meeting
Meanwhile, as the MLC election code is in force in the state, except Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Mahbubnagar districts, officials said that the Election Commission of India’s permission is needed for holding a Cabinet meeting. Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari is likely to seek the ECI’s permission for the same, sources said.