Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao told the Legislative Assembly on Monday that a special session of the Legislature will be convened within a week to pass Muslim and ST quota bills. The Budget session of Legislature ended on Monday. However, suspense continues whether the Muslim quota will be increased to 12 per cent or 9 per cent.
Mr Rao’s remarks in the Assembly on Monday that the government may enhance Muslim quota by 4 or 5 per cent without elaborating further fuelled speculations in the wake of reports that the BC Commission had recommended only 9 per cent quota for Muslims.
The CM had promised 12 per cent quota each for Muslims and STs. At present, Muslims have 4 per cent quota.
Mr Rao said the state government will approach the Centre and the Supreme Court after passing the quota Bills seeking a Tamil Nadu-type reservation quota to implement the over and above SC-prescribed limit of 50 per cent overall quota. At present, TS has 50 per cent overall quota and if Muslim, STs quotas are increased to 12 per cent each, the overall quota will increase to 64 per cent, while Tamil Nadu has a 69 per cent overall quota.
The CM denied giving ‘religious reservations’ to Muslims and said the quota hike will be based on social, economic and educational backwardness of Muslims in Telangana.
Mr Rao felt there is a need to increase even the existing reservations for BCs and the government will initiate steps in this regard at an appropriate time.
He also proposed to bring a separate BC Sub-Plan Act for backward classes in the next Budget along the lines of SC/ ST Sub-Pan Act.
“When Tamil Nadu can implement 69 per cent quota, TS should also be given a similar benefit since nearly 90 per cent of the state’s population comprises BCs, SCs, STs and Minorities, who lag behind on all fronts. There can’t be different norms for different states in the same country,” Mr Rao said.
