Telangana to Establish Dedicated BC Commission Following High Court Order
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directed officials late on Sunday to promptly establish a dedicated Backward Classes (BC) Commission on Monday, following a recent High Court order, to specifically address BC reservations in local body elections, a move aimed at aligning with court mandates and addressing the demands of community leaders.
The directive followed a High Court ruling last week, in response to a writ petition filed by BC leader R. Krishnaiah. The court had mandated the government to form a dedicated commission within two weeks. The court stated delegating this responsibility to the existing Telangana Backward Classes Commission did not meet the requirements set by the Supreme Court.
The High Court emphasised that an independent commission, exclusively focused on assessing the backwardness of BC communities, was essential.
Government sources clarified that the setting up of the new commission will not affect the statewide caste census, which is set to begin on November 6. The census, intended to collect socio-economic data across all castes and communities, will proceed as planned.
The decision to establish a dedicated BC Commission was influenced by recent legal challenges from opposition leaders and BC representatives. These leaders had contested the state’s previous approach of using data from the existing BC Commission, which was originally formed based on a legislation passed in 1993 and has authority only over educational and employment reservations besides addition and deletion of castes from the BC list.
The Chief Minister, reiterating his commitment to fairness and transparency, instructed officials to ensure that the new commission operates through a consensus-driven approach. Reddy stressed that the state government remains dedicated to an unbiased process in determining BC reservations, following all legal precedents.
The caste census will continue as planned, with data gathering extending beyond BC communities to capture a comprehensive socio-economic profile of all castes and religions in Telangana.
