KTR demands Bill on caste census

If need be, the session can be extended for a couple of days to facilitate the legislative process, he said in the Assembly, also pointing out that the BRS was the only party to demand that the union government establish an OBC Welfare Ministry in the union cabinet.

Hyderabad: Stating that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) welcomes the resolution on caste census, BRS working president KT Rama Rao wanted the government to introduce a Bill in the Assembly on the proposed survey to provide statutory sanctity. This apart, the survey should be conducted by a judicial commission for legal sanctity.

If need be, the session can be extended for a couple of days to facilitate the legislative process, he said in the Assembly, also pointing out that the BRS was the only party to demand that the union government establish an OBC Welfare Ministry in the union cabinet.

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On December 17, 2004, when BRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao was a union Minister, he had sought an appointment with the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and explained to him the need to constitute a OBC Welfare Ministry.

“Manmohan Singhji had asked whether a few minutes would suffice but Chandrashekhar Rao, accompanied by BC leader R Krishnaiah and Vakulabharanam Krishna Mohan, explained to the Prime Minister on the need for OBC Ministry for over an hour,” Rama Rao said. An appeal was also made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

To this effect, two resolutions were passed in the Assembly in the past, he said. If the union government establishes OBC Ministry, Rs 2 lakh crore would have to be allocated, he added. Rama Rao also reminded that the Bihar government had taken up a similar survey without passing a bill but faced legal hurdles and the exercise had to be stopped.