Telangana to include few backward castes in ST list

Hyderabad: Telangana Assembly on Friday unanimously passed a government resolution urging the Centre to include few backward castes in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs). Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao moved the resolution to include Valmiki Boyas, Pedda Boyaa, Khaiti Lambadas, Mali Saha Bedar, Kirataka, Nishadi, Bhat Mathura, Chamar Mathura, Chandawals and Thalayari castes in the list of STs.

The Chief Minister told the House that though the State government had accepted the recommendation of the ST Commission to include these BC castes into ST list and sent the proposal to the Centre in 2016, the Centre did not take any action in this regard.

Chandrashekhar Rao said Mali caste, which mostly inhabits the districts of Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad and Mancherial, have long been demanding that they be included in the ST list. He said taking into consideration their socio-economic conditions, the State government is passing the resolution to include them as well in the ST list.

Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy announced that the resolution had been adopted unanimously.

Later, public representatives and leaders of various castes mentioned in the resolution met the Chief Minister and expressed their gratitude.

Minister and Vanaparthi MLA Singireddy Niranjan Reddy, MLAs -- Gadwala Krishna Mohan Reddy, Alampur MLA Dr VA Abraham, Devarakadra MLA Venkateshwar Reddy, Kolhapur MLA Harshavardhan Reddy, leaders of other regions and the castes mentioned were present.