Naidu expressed satisfaction that the long-pending issue, which had been debated since he first assumed office in 1995, was finally addressed under his leadership
VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has reiterated that Andhra Pradesh is committed to the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes.
The CM said the government would further categorise SC reservations at the district level on the basis of population census. The state assembly has unanimously passed a resolution to include the Budagajangam caste in the SC list and this would be sent to the central government for approval, he said.
Addressing the state assembly on Thursday, Naidu expressed satisfaction that the long-pending issue, which had been debated since he first assumed office in 1995, was finally addressed under his leadership. The SC sub-categorization has been implemented at the state level based on the 2011 Census and, after the 2026 Census, it would be considered at the district level.
Naidu recalled, “To eliminate inequality and poverty, the government issued an order on June 6, 1997, sub-categorising SC reservations into A, B, C and D groups. The sub-categorisation, approved by then-President KR Narayanan on Nov 30, 1999, led to creation of over 22,000 job opportunities for Madigas and other sub-groups.
However, in November 2004, the Supreme Court ruled that only the Parliament was having the authority to decide on sub-categorization. The Usha Mehra Commission, set up by the central government, later confirmed that the categorization implemented between 2000-2004 had yielded positive results.”
“In August 2023, a Supreme Court bench led by Justice Chandrachud ruled in favour of SC reservation sub-categorisation,” Naidu said.
Recounting past discrimination, Naidu noted that in Telangana, some Dalits were forced to beg for drinking water. They were not allowed near wells and were required to walk barefoot in villages. “In response to this, I established the Justice Punnayya Commission, issued 25 government orders, and worked to eradicate untouchability,” he said.
Naidu said, “On Nov 15, 2024, the government formed a one-member commission led by retired IAS officer Rajeev Ranjan Mishra to study SC sub-categorization. After gathering public feedback across 13 districts, the commission submitted a comprehensive report on March 10, 2025, dividing 59 SC sub-groups into three categories.”
Accordingly, Group 1 - Most Backward (Relli sub-group) will have 1 per cent reservation; Group 2 - Backward (Madiga sub-groups) – 6.5% reservation; and Group 3 - Relatively Less Backward (Mala sub-groups) – 7.5 per cent reservation.
The roster system, the CM said, “ensures justice for all groups.” For example, if 100 jobs are available, 8 would go to the Mala community, 6 to Madigas and 1 to Rellis. If 200 jobs are available, 15 would go to Malas, 13 to Madigas, and 2 to Rellis.
Naidu claimed that Telugu Desam has consistently championed social justice by appointing Dalit leaders to key positions, under which GMC Balayogi was made the first Dalit Lok Sabha Speaker and he performed exceptionally well.
Naidu stated that in 1999, Pratibha Bharathi was appointed as the assembly Speaker, marking another milestone in Dalit representation and Kaki Madhava Rao was elevated to the position of chief secretary.
The CM stated that with PM Modi and Pawan Kalyan’s support, he aimed to eradicate poverty and create wealth for the underprivileged. “In the past, P3 (Public-Private Partnership) was introduced for economic growth. On Ugadi, the government will introduce P4, aiming to support the bottom 20 per cent economically weaker sections by leveraging the top 10 per cent wealthier sections.”
“Plans are in motion to issue caste certificates for Turpu Kapus,” Naidu added.
