HANAMKONDA: BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Sunday demanded that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy implement the 42% BC reservation before the panchayat elections across the state.
Alleging that there was an ulterior motive in the collection of personal details for the survey, he urged people to stall the staff from conducting the caste survey until the reservations for backward classes (BC) were assured.
Addressing the media at the Hanamkonda party office, Rama Rao alleged that Revanth made false statements during his election campaign in Maharashtra. “The Congress government in Telangana has not provided an additional Rs 500 quintal bonus for paddy to farmers, yet Revanth falsely claimed in a public meeting that this bonus is being given here,” he said.
The Sircilla MLA added that the BRS would create awareness on the issue of BC reservations and, if necessary, would observe a ‘Government Failure Week’ in Telangana from party supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao’s fast-unto-death anniversary on November 29 up to December 7. “The party will discuss this and definitely plan a ‘Failure Week’ to highlight the government’s lack of progress,” he added.
Rama Rao also highlighted that while the chief minister issued a BC Declaration promising 42% reservations last year, no step has been taken for its implementation.
“The government allocated Rs 8,000 crore for the BC Budget, yet not a single rupee has been spent,” he alleged.
Stating that the BRS has reservations about the credibility of the ongoing caste survey, the former minister said though the pink party welcomes the caste survey, it would suggest simplifying it to focus on caste, sub-caste and only related information.
“Why does the government want personal and economic details?” he questioned.
‘Survey initiated to benefit Cong in Maharashtra polls’
Rama Rao further alleged that the Congress government strategically initiated the caste survey with an eye on the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
The Congress government, he claimed, has failed to implement fee reimbursement for BC families with annual incomes below Rs 3 lakh, and no new Gurukula schools or degree colleges for BC students have been established in 33 districts across the state.
The former minister stated that the BRS would hold the Congress accountable for the unfulfilled promises and the six guarantees made to the people of Telangana. He noted that even the SC/ST declarations, issued in the Chevella Assembly constituency last year, remain unimplemented.
“The people will not tolerate these false promises for long,” he warned.
He also criticised the Revanth Reddy administration, saying, “The Congress chief minister lacks governance capability and has not yet filled the Cabinet of 18 ministers. He is struggling with ministry expansion; how will he create an additional ministry for Most Backward Classes?”