Nalgonda: Leaders of Backward Castes (BC) on Monday expressed their frustrations before the Telangana BC Commission, chaired by G. Niranjan, during a public hearing held at Udhayaditya Bhavan in the district Collectorate.
Representatives from Nalgonda, Suryapet, and Yadadri-Bhongir districts submitted memoranda outlining their demands to the commission chairman. Cheruku Mallikarjun, leader of Gouda Sangam, said that there are eight lakh Goudas in Nalgonda district. He requested an increase in the quota for liquor shop allocations from 15 per cent to 50 per cent, stating that the decline in toddy demand has severely impacted their livelihoods. Additionally, he appealed for the state government to raise the ex gratia for families of toddy tappers who die from falling palm trees from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
Keshaboina Shanker, leader of MUdiran Association, pointed out that the Mudiraj community makes up nine per cent of the state’s population and 13 per cent of the BC population. He advocated for a special quota for Mudirajs within the BC (A) reservation category, emphasising their social and economic backwardness.
Md Riyajuddin, a Muslim youth, reminded the commission that Muslims are categorised as BC(E) but lack access to BC Study Circles, which provide coaching for competitive examinations. Narem Narsimha, leader of Vaddera Sangam, urged the inclusion of the Vaddera caste in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list, arguing that the Vaddera community is more educationally and economically disadvantaged than other BC castes.
G. Venkateshwarlu, state president of Besta Seva Sangam, noted that fish hunting is a traditional occupation of the Bestha community. He requested that sub-castes such as Mudiraj, Muthrani, and Tenugu be recognised as Bestha caste in the BC Census Survey.
After the public hearing, Niranjan addressed the media, stating that the BC Commission is committed to protecting the rights of BCs in the state. To date, the commission has conducted six public hearings across districts to gather opinions from BC communities. The hearings will conclude by November 26, and a comprehensive report will be submitted to the state government.
Niranjan also mentioned that 1.15 crore families have been identified for the BC caste survey, with 65 to 70 per cent of houses surveyed. He noted that Mudiraj, Kummari, and Batraj castes are demanding inclusion in the BC(A) category from their current BC(D) status, and these changes will be incorporated into the final report.
Commission members Rapolu Jayaprakash, Tirumalagiri Surender, and Tirumalagiri Surender were also present at the hearing, supporting the efforts to address the grievances of the BC communities.
