K Chandrasekhar Rao had mooted EBC quota in Telangana

Hyderabad: Telangana state Chief Minister K. Chandrase-khar Rao had planned to introduce quota for the economically backward classes in the state just before the recent Assembly elections. 

It had even come up for discussion at a Cabinet meeting in 2018. Mr Rao planned to introduce the quota first in education and later in jobs but was unable to do so as the Muslim reservation bill is still pending with the Centre.

After taking charge, the as Chief Minister for the second time, Mr Rao had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi Delhi recently. TRS sources say that Mr Modi and Mr Rao might have discussed EBC quota before the PM decided to bring in the bill ahead of LS elections.

Mr Rao’s plan is to exclude the creamy layer among BCs, SCs, STs and minorities from the existing quota to enable implementation of EBC quota. His plan was to remove those earning over '8 lakh annually from the fold.  The Centre, too, has put an income ceiling of '8 lakh per year to get benefits under EBC quota. When this issue came up for discussion at the Cabinet meeting, Mr Rao reportedly said that poorer sections among the upper castes were facing several hardships because of poverty and could not avail of quota benefits offered by the government because of the upper caste tag.

Mr Rao had also referred to the plight of EBCs and said the government would soon come up with a policy for their uplift. 

Earlier, the TS government passed a bill relating to enhancement of Muslim and ST quota and sent it to the Centre for the President’s approval. But as the bill is pending before the Centre, the EBC quota did not take place in the state.