Telangana govt to introduce bill ensuring 42% BC quota in local bodies

The Telangana government on Saturday announced its decision to introduce a bill in the assembly on August 31 to facilitate 42 per cent reservation to Backward Classes in local body polls by amending a legislation enacted in 2018.

Briefing reporters after a meeting of the state cabinet, Backward Classes Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar termed as a "noose" the Panchayat Raj bill passed in 2018 during the previous BRS regime which caps total reservations for SCs, STs and BCs in local bodies at 50 per cent.

The government had earlier issued an ordinance to amend the 2018 Act which was sent to the President by Governor Jishnu Dev Varma.

Prabhakar said the proposed bill replaces the ordinance. It is a tradition and procedure to convert the ordinance into a bill when the House meets, he said.

Prabhakar also said the cabinet decided to provide reservation on population basis to SCs and STs as per the 2001 census in the local bodies, while ensuring 42 per cent quota to the BCs.

Congress had promised before the 2023 assembly polls to increase the BC reservations in local bodies to 42 per cent from 23 per cent.

Meanwhile, state Information and Public Relations Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said the cabinet decided to nominate retired professor M Kodandaram and former cricketer and Congress leader Mohd Azharuddin as members of the legislative council under Governor's quota.

Srinivas Reddy also said the cabinet resolved to constitute a welfare board for 'gaushalas' (cow sheds) in the state.

It discussed mobilisation of funds and other relevant issues vis-a-vis 'gaushalas' in view of the poor upkeep of cows, he added.