KTR demands OBC Ministry in Centre, repeal toddy ban in Karnataka

Participating in the 'Gouda Atmeeya Sammelan' at Manneguda in Rangareddy district, Rama Rao criticised the BJP's double standards over BC welfare for seeking BC Bandhu on the lines of Dalit Bandhu.

Hyderabad: Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now Bharat Rashtra Samithi) working president and IT Minister KT Rama Rao on Sunday demanded the union government to establish an OBC Welfare Ministry at the Centre. The Minister also slammed the BJP government in Karnataka for imposing a ban on toddy and demanded to repeal the decision.

Participating in the ‘Gouda Atmeeya Sammelan’ at Manneguda in Rangareddy district, Rama Rao criticised the BJP’s double standards over BC welfare for seeking BC Bandhu on the lines of Dalit Bandhu. He pointed out that the BJP was interested only in vote banks politics by creating a divide and hence, had a BC Morcha within the party, but was not inclined to establish a separate Ministry for backward classes in the union Cabinet.

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“Since 2004, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has been demanding the union government to establish a separate Ministry for the BCs. If the BJP has any genuine concern for backward classes, they should first set up a separate Ministry for BC welfare,” he said, also criticising the BJP for imposing a ban on toddy in Karnataka.

The step had robbed the toddy tappers of their livelihood, while the same BJP was faking love for the community in Telangana, he said, pointing out that Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had launched Dalit Bandhu, which would eventually be utilised for upliftment of all communities in the State.

Announcing that the State government would further strengthen traditional occupations, Rama Rao said the State government had revived toddy tapping and other occupations which were destroyed in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. He said the government was providing 15 per cent reservation in liquor shops to the community, apart from extending the toddy license renewals to 10 years and had also brought the new Neera policy to improve livelihood opportunities.

The government had also removed tax on toddy trees, increased Aasara pensions from Rs.200 to Rs.2,016, benefiting over 70,000 old-age toddy tappers, providing Rs 5 lakh insurance coverage, and extending financial support under Kalyana Lakshmi and other welfare programmes.

The State government would also distribute mopeds to toddy tappers soon. The State government had established over 975 residential welfare schools for the backward classes, benefiting girl students especially.

The BJP, on the other hand, was making the rich richer by treating the poor as just a vote bank. He stated that while BJP candidate Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy was given a contract of Rs.18,000 crore to resign from his MLA post, necessitating the bypolls, the BJP-led union government was not ready to extend funds for development of entire Nalgonda district.

Excise Minister V Srinivas Goud, MLAs K Vivekananda, Prakash Goud, Balka Suman, Telangana Legislative Council former chairman K Swamy Goud, former MLA Bikshmaiah Goud and others were present.