HYDERABAD: In a deft move aimed at forcing the Centre to take a decision on the ST Reservation Bill, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday announced that a GO will be issued within a we-ek enhancing Schedule Tribe (ST) reservations from the existing 6% to 10%, leaving the onus on the Union government of honouring it.
“It is up to (Prime Mi-nister) Narendra Modi whether he honours the (yet to be released) GO or makes it a noose for himself,” Rao thundered to rapturous applause at the NTR Stadium where he addressed a huge public meeting -- Telangana Adivasi Girijan Atmagaurav Sabha.Rao flitted between celebratory and election modes, announcing that his government would hand over title deeds for podu lands, increase the number of residential hostels for STs and implement ‘Girijana Bandhu’ on the lines of Dalit Bandhu for tribals.
Bill pending with Prez
He reminded the gathering that as per its election promise, the TRS government passed the Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or Posts in the Services under the State) Bill, 2017, in the State Legislature and sent it to the President for assent so that it becomes an Act. “However, the Bill, which provisions increasing STs reservations to 10% and BC-E (bac-kward sections among Muslims) quota to 12% from 4%, remains pending,” he said, adding that he was vexed asking the Centre to approve the Bill.
With the decision to issue a GO hiking the re-servations, Rao has lobbed the ball right into the Centre’s court, which could compel it to act owing to the demand from the tribal community to increase their representation as per their growing population. As per Census 2011, STs constitute 9.08% of the population; an assessment says that the ST population is around 12% now.
Statutory cap
“The Constitution does not cap statutory reservations. Tamil Nadu is implementing 69% reservations. The Centre is also implementing EWS quota taking the total reservations beyond the 50% threshold by including it in the Seventh Schedule,” Rao pointed out. He added that he hoped that the President would expeditiously give her assent to the Bill if the Centre gives its nod as she is from the Adivasi community. “I want to ask Modi and Amit Shah, who is in the city to indulge in divisive politics, as to what is stopping them from giving assent to the Bill passed by Telangana Legislature?” Rao said.
Referring to the long-pending demand of pattas for podu lands to tribal communities, he said that the State government has identified the lands to be distributed to those eligible from the tribal communities, adding that Rythu Bandhu will also be implemented to these podu lands.
Disruptive forces at work: KCR
The Chief Minister charged the BJP-led Union government of giving public assets worth lakhs of crores to a few individuals virtually for free. “They (the Centre) are creating horrendous conditions. I appeal to the people of Telangana not to be worried about the situation but be vigilant,” he said.
Earlier, after hoisting the national flag as part of the ‘Telangana Jateeya Samaikyata Dinostavam’ (Telangana National Integration Day) celebrations at the Public Gardens, Rao said that communal elements that had no role in the integration of Hyderabad State into the Indian Union were now trying to split Telangana society with their perverted attempts.
Rao asked the people across the country to move forward while observing the developments taking place around them and discerning between the good and bad. He said that some “disruptive forces” that have no role in Telangana history are trying to distort history for to sow discord among the people and reap political dividents out of that.
A day to remember
CM inaugurates Komaram Bheem Adivasi Bhavan & Sevalal Banjara Bhavan, built at a cost of over `24cr
Amit Shah’s security breached when a car, driven by a TRS worker, obstructed his convoy, proceeding from Haritha Plaza to Begumpet.
Congress releases the model of its version of Telangana Talli, draped in a Tricolour saree holding indigenous plants
RAO RECALLS STATEHOOD STRUGGLES
Appealing to the people to be alert, he said, “Telangana itself is an example to understand how things would turn unfortunate if the people are unmindful. Telangana has lived a cursed life for
58 years due to a mistake that happened in the past (Formation of Andhra Pradesh State on linguistic basis),” he said. He added that people had to sacrifice lives and languish in jails to achieve a separate statehood.