Leaders of BC communities met Revanth Reddy on the Assembly premises on Tuesday to express their gratitude
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy urged the Backward Classes to recognise the significance of the caste census conducted by the Congress government and take ownership of it. He stated that the state government had granted statutory status to the caste census data by securing approval from both the Cabinet and the Legislative Assembly.
“We have increased BC reservations to 42 per cent in education, employment, and local bodies by passing two Bills in the Assembly. The caste census data must be granted statutory status before the quota can be enhanced. This is why our government took the step of conducting a caste census before increasing the BC quota," the Chief Minister said.
Leaders of BC communities met Revanth Reddy on the Assembly premises on Tuesday to express their gratitude for enacting two laws that provide a 42 per cent quota for backward communities in education, employment, and political representation.
Speaking on the occasion, Revanth Reddy urged all BC communities to thank Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, reminding them that it was his vision during the Bharat Jodo Yatra to conduct a caste census in Congress-ruled states.
He reiterated that the Congress government had honoured its commitment by completing the caste survey, which was crucial for increasing reservations beyond the 50 per cent limit.
Revanth Reddy highlighted the significance of February 4, declaring it 'Social Justice Day' in the Assembly. He mentioned that the government had formed a Cabinet Sub-Committee and a dedicated BC Commission to ensure the caste survey was completed within a fixed timeframe. Additionally, a second opportunity was provided for those who missed participating in the first phase of the survey.
Assuring transparency in the caste survey process, he affirmed that the policy document had been carefully drafted to ensure accuracy. "Our goal is to make the state a role model for the entire country. The caste survey conducted by this people-centric government will be a historic milestone," he said.
"BCs will lose their rights if they are misrepresented. The government has not only prepared a caste census document but also enacted a law to ensure reservations. Two separate bills were passed in the Legislative Assembly to provide political reservations and quotas in education and jobs," he said.
Pointing out that caste enumeration had never been included in previous censuses, Revanth Reddy said that the Mandal Commission had estimated BCs to be 52 per cent of the population, whereas the recent caste survey in Telangana reported that BCs constituted 56.36 per cent of the population. He added that the local body elections had been postponed to ascertain the correct BC population.
He compared the caste census to sacred texts like the Bhagavad Gita, Bible, and Quran, stating that it laid a strong foundation for BC empowerment.
"The implementation of the caste census will come first, followed by necessary amendments. I appeal to the BC community to avoid falling into the trap of those who seek political gains under the guise of caste politics," he said.
Revanth Reddy urged BC communities to take the lead in securing their rights, promising his unwavering support in their struggle for justice and representation.
