Warangal: Tribals deserve 10% quota

Warangal: The State government patiently waited for more than five years but the BJP-led Centre didn't clear the Scheduled Tribes Reservation Bill passed by Telangana Assembly in April 2017 which increases the quota for STs to 10 per cent from the existing 6 per cent, Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Errabelli Dayakar Rao said. Speaking at a meeting in Palakurthi of Jangaon district on Sunday, the minister backed Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's decision to enhance the quota for the tribals.

The State government repeatedly appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to approve the 10 per cent quota for the ST community. No longer, the CM will wait for the Centre's approval because enhancing the quota is justifiable based on the increased ST population in the State, Errabelli said.

He said that the TRS government is committed to the development of tribal communities. Successive governments failed to empower the tribals but KCR made it possible. As many as 3,146 thandas were upgraded to gram panchayats so that STs get their share in the governance, he added.

Errabelli said that the BJP was trying to instigate the people on communal terms. "The BJP which has no role in Indian Independence and Farmers Armed Rebellion against the Nizam was trying to gain political mileage by spreading misinformation and divisive politics," Errabelli said. He said that people are aware of the BJP's designs. Errabelli and the tribal leaders anointed KCR's flexi with milk thanking him for increasing the quota for the ST community, and his plans to implement Girijan Bandhu.