TS govt hikes ST quota to 10%

Hyderabad: This Dasara festive season has brought big cheers on the faces of Tribals in the Telangana. State Government has issued orders enhancing reservations for Scheduled Tribes from 6 per cent to 10 per cent, with effect from October 1. The reservations will be applicable in educational institutions and government jobs. Highly sources said that State ST welfare department issued orders soon after Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao returned from Yadadri temple on Friday afternoon. The government was serious on the Centre's protracted delay in giving its nod to the Telangana request to enhance the quota to Tribals.

Six years ago, the Telangana State Legislative Assembly passed a bill hiking reservation for tribals in the State and sent it to the Union government for the Presidential assent. Despite repeated pleas from the State government, the Chief Minister and tribal communities, the Union government did not respond positively till the date. Vexed with the Centre's indifferent attitude, the Chief Minister had recently announced his decision that the TRS government will implement the enhanced reservations to ensure justice to tribals, who were exploited and oppressed over several decades. Accordingly, the orders were issued on Friday evening.

Officials said that " the State government took the decision to hike the tribal reservation after careful consideration in view of fact that the total reservations in Tamil Nadu have crossed 50 per cent limit and went up to 69 per cent in 1994. For the last 28 years, the 69 per cent reservation has remained in force. The Centre also included these hiked reservations of Tamil Nadu in Schedule 9 to provide the Constitutional sanctity. However, it has ignored Telangana's repeated requests".

The Chellappa committee appointed by Telangana government has conducted a study on the conditions of tribals and held extensive hearings and collected representations. The committee recommended the enhancement of reservations for tribals in educational institutions and government jobs.