Harish harps on SC categorisation, raps Centre for laxity on key issue

Hyderabad: Stating that the State government sent resolutions to the government of India twice in the last two terms, the BRS leader T Harish Rao on Sunday asked what was stopping the BJP-led government at the Centre from taking up the categorisation of Scheduled Caste.

The BRS leader was speaking at a meeting of the Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) held at Indira Park on Sunday. Harish Rao said MRPS was an organisation that has been fighting for categorisation for many years. After the formation of Telangana State, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao ensured the passing of a unanimous resolution on categorisation in the first Assembly session and sent it to Delhi, which shows the sincerity of the government, said Harish Rao.

He further said that they also sent a resolution to the Central government for the second time. “Once we sent copies of the resolution to Delhi with the then deputy chief minister Rajaiah and Kadiam Srihari. Once again, CM KCR himself handed over a copy of the Assembly resolution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but the Modi government did not take any decision. Do not know what was the difficulty of the Modi government to make a special law in the Parliament on the resolution sent by the State Legislature,” said Rao recalling the BRS MPs strongly protested the Central government in the parliament demanding to bring the SC categorisation bill.

The BRS leader recalled that KCR had established 33 districts and every district had a SC study circle for each district and was giving free training to Dalit students. Dalit Bandhu was brought, which was nowhere else in the country. One SC Gurukul and 50 SC Women's Degree Colleges have been set up for each constituency. It has been stated in the manifesto that the assigned lands which were given to SCs would be recognised as Patta lands. “In the coming days, we will construct a MadigalaAtmaGaurava Bhavan in Hyderabad. We will set up a statue of Sadalakshmi in Hyderabad,” said Rao.

Rao said that the BRS was a movement party and respected the movement of MMPS. The government is implementing SC reservations in food and sanitation departments in government hospitals. The government had also brought reservations in irrigation contracts, the BRS leader said.