Telangana: BC Commission gears up to submit report in one week

The Commission was constituted to determine the reservations to BCs in local bodies after enumeration of BC communities’ percentage in the population

Hyderabad: As the BC Commission chaired by G Niranjan is gearing up to submit its report to the State government, apprehensions continue to rise over the Congress government’s promise to extend 42 percent reservation to backward classes in local bodies.

The Commission was constituted to determine the reservations to BCs in local bodies after enumeration of BC communities’ percentage in the population. Accordingly, the Commission conducted public hearings in the 10 erstwhile districts and recorded suggestions and opinions from different sections.

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“By all means, we would be submitting our report to the State government next week,” a Commission member said.

On the possibilities of extending 42 percent reservation to BCs, the Commission member said the State government had to make a formal representation to the union government. In turn, the union government has to take up constitutional amendments accordingly, the member explained.

This apart, the State government has also constituted a dedicated commission, headed by former IAS officer B Venkateswara Rao, to conduct an empirical data survey of BCs for finalizing the reservations in local bodies. The Congress in its poll manifesto before the Assembly elections had assured to extend 42 percent reservation to the BCs. Now that the Telangana government’s socio- economic caste survey completed, demands are being made from different sections to extend 42 percent reservation to the BCs in the local bodies.

Though, there has been no official announcement over the local bodies’ elections dates, speculation is rife that they could be conducted anytime after Sankranti festival.

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has been demanding the Congress government to fulfill its poll promise made as part of Kamareddy Declaration. Last Friday, BRS MLC K Kavitha had demanded the State government to implement the promise made to the BCs without any further delay. She also declared that a massive protest would be staged at Indira Park in the city on January 3.

National Backward Classes Welfare Association president R Krishnaiah also demanded the Congress government to fulfill the promise made to the BCs. He also warned that if the government failed to implement the 42 percent reservation, large scale protests would be conducted across the State.