Telangana to press for 12 per cent quota for Muslims

Hyderabad: When the 4 per cent quota case comes up for hearing in the Supreme Court on Monday, the Telangana state government will utilise the opportunity to raise Muslim quota to 12 per cent in the state.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has deputed Deputy CM Mohd Mahmood Ali to be present in the Supreme Court along with senior advocates to put forth strong argument in favour of 12 per cent quota.

The previous Congress government headed by Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy had introduced the 4 per cent quota for Muslims in education and jobs in 2004 but it is  stuck in legal dispute. The case is still pending in the Supreme Court.

The Telangana state government had constituted a commission in March 2015 to study the socio-economic and educational status of Muslims in Telagnana and  recommend increase in quota as a follow-up on the TRS poll promise to provide 12 percent reservation to Muslims.

The three-member commission headed by retired IAS officer G. Sudhir is currently touring all the districts to study the condition of Muslims in the state and  is expected to submit its report to the government by this year-end.

Mr Rao directed Dr Mahmood Ali and senior advocates to bring to the notice of Supreme Court the backwardness of Muslim communities in the state and the Telangana state government’s efforts to raise the quota to 12 per cent for their uplift.

The 4 per cent quota case came up in Supreme Court in February this year.
Senior Congress leader and leader of opposition in TS Legislative Council Mohd Shabbir Ali who was present in the court then accused the TS government of not sending its representative to put forth strong arguments in favour of  Muslim quota though it was denied later by TS government, which said that its  senior advocates were very much present in the court.

To avoid such controversies now, Mr Rao has deputed Dr Mahmood Ali to be present in the court on Monday when the case comes up. Dr Ali, who left for New Delhi on Sunday said, “The CM is committed to give 12 per cent quota to Muslims as promised during polls. We will put strong argument before the SC.”