Jagan Mohan Reddy reverses 5 per cent EWS quota for Kapus

Vijayawada: The Jagan Mohan Reddy government has issued fresh guidelines on the Centre’s sop of providing 10 per cent reservation to the economically weak among the open category castes, reversing the N. Chandrababu Naidu government’s decision splitting the 10 per cent between Kapus and other open category castes.

While the fresh decision may irk Kapus, the state government in the GO that was issued recently said the decision was taken due to the writ petitions filed in various courts challenging the  previous government's decision.

The Andhra Pradesh government had bifurcated the 10 per cent reservation and brought two Acts, providing for 5 per cent reservation each for Kapus and others.

While the fresh decision may irk Kapus, the state government said the decision was taken due to writ petitions filed in various courts challenging the  previous government’s decision to split the quota.

After the Lok Sabha passed the Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019, the Andhra Pradesh government split the 10 per cent reservation and brought out two Acts, namely, Act No.14 of 2019, dated 20.02.2019 and Act No.15 of 2019, dated 20.02.2019, providing for five per cent reservation for Economi-cally Weaker Sections (EWS) among Kapus and five per cent reservation for Economically Weaker Sections among other than Kapus, towards admissions into educational institutions and appointments to posts in the public services under the state. There will be one-third horizontal reservation for women within the reservation provided both to Kapus and other than Kapus.

The previous government had issued orders bringing the provisions of the Act 14 of 2019 and Act 15 of 2019 into force with effect from March 8, 2019.

Meanwhile, a writ petition has been filed before the  Supreme Court praying for quashing the law that granted 10 per cent quota for EWS  as it violated the basic structure of the Constitution. The petition also sought the apex court to quash two laws enacted by the Andhra Pradesh government as violating Articles 15 (1) and 16 (2) of the Constitution.

There were a few more writ petitions filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court. “In view of the above-mentioned petitions, the government hereby decided to fill up the EWS quota of supernumerary seats in higher educational institutions in accordance with 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019 and the guidelines issued by Government of India,” said  the GO.

Worried over the repercussions of the order, the Kapu MLAs and ministers met Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to seek his guidance on facing agitated Kapus in the state.

Responding to them, Mr Reddy said: “Ten per cent EBC reservation was earmarked for the poorest on the basis of poverty. So it is not possible to take the caste on a regular basis. Knowingly, the TD had given five per cent reservation to Kapus on caste basis against the Central government guidelines”.

The Chief Minister also said that said the Telugu Desam was trying to use the issue of the Kapu reservation for furthering its selfish politics.