Plea to raise quota for BCs in civic polls

Musheerabad: BC leaders led by National Backward Classes Welfare Association president R Krishnaiah met Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kishan Reddy here on Sunday and apprised him of the various problems being faced by the members of the Backward Classes.

Speaking to media after the meeting, BC leader Krishnaiah said that they had appealed to the Union Minister to take appropriate steps and bring a constitutional amendment to increase the reservations for the Backward Classes in the forthcoming municipal elections.

The frequent intervention of courts on the reservation issue resulted in decline in BC reservations from 34 per cent to 22 per cent. Hence, there was a need to give constitutional status to BC reservations, he added.

Krishnaiah said the BC leaders urged that measures be taken to increase the number of Assembly and Parliamentary seats and nominate BC members to the legislatures both at the Centre and in the States.

They also demanded formulation of a BC sub-plan with a budget of Rs 1 lakh crore for the welfare of the Backward Classes. Among those who met the Union Minister were Gujja Krishna, Jillapalli Anji, Vemula Radhakrishna, Swami Goud, Bhoopesh Sagar, Ananthaiah and others.