HYDERABAD: In a major step aimed at ensuring social justice, the Telangana Cabinet on Thursday approved 42% reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in local body elections.
To facilitate this, the Cabinet cleared an amendment to the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018. The state government will send the amended Act to the Governor, who is expected to promulgate an Ordinance. The Telangana High Court had earlier directed the state government to take a decision on the reservation issue within a month.
To enable the issuance of the Ordinance, the Budget session of the Assembly was prorogued on Thursday.
Apart from the approval of 42 per cent quota for BCs in local bodies, the Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, took several key decisions. The advocate general attended the meeting, presented his views, and offered legal advice on the proposal.
The previous BRS government had reduced BC reservations from 34 per cent to 23 per cent when it enacted the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act in 2018.
Briefing the media on the Cabinet decisions, Information and Public Relations Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy stated that the Congress had promised 42% reservations for BCs during the elections. Based on the caste census, the government decided to implement the 42% quota, and the Assembly passed the relevant Bills and forwarded them for the President’s approval. He added that despite repeated requests, the Union government has been raising queries and delaying the process.
“The Cabinet has decided to hold local body elections with 42 per cent reservations for BCs. Recently, the High Court also ordered that the election process be completed within three months. The Cabinet sought suggestions and legal advice from the advocate general. For this, the Panchayat Raj Act, 2018 will be amended.”
CM for reforms to enhance accountability
During the Cabinet meeting, the chief minister instructed officials to bring reforms to improve accountability among government employees. He assigned the responsibility to a committee constituted earlier to address employee-related issues.
The Cabinet directed the committee to submit its report within two months. Srinivasa Reddy said: “327 matters related to 23 departments were discussed in the last 18 Cabinet meetings. Of these, 321 matters were approved.
The Cabinet reviewed decisions taken in previous meetings, and 96% of them are currently under implementation. As the chief minister has decided to hold Cabinet meetings every two weeks, the next meeting is scheduled for July 25.”