Quota bill gets Assembly nod

Hyderabad: The Telangana Assembly and Council on Sunday passed the bill enhancing the quota for BC-E category from 4% to 12% and ST reservation from 6% to 10%. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao introduced the Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or Posts in the Services under the State) Bill, 2017, during the Special Session of the Assembly on Sunday.

• 8% hike in reservations for BC-E, 4% for STs
• BJP opposes the bill, Cong, MIM back it
• All norms followed, will get approval: KCR

While the Congress and MIM supported the bill, the BJP opposed it. The BJP members were suspended from the House for obstructing the proceedings. Speaking on the bill, the Chief Minister said his government was not introducing any new reservation, but enhancing the percentage of quota for the communities which are already enjoying reservation.

He said the quota was being enhanced to fulfill one of the major election promises that his party had made. He said due procedure was followed to implement the enhanced quota. He said BC and ST Commissions, after conducting a study on socio-economic status of the BC-E and ST communities, have recommended increase in quota and the same was accepted by the government.

KCR said there was a need to increase the quota for Scheduled Castes by 1% to take it to 16% which would in proportionate to the SC population in Telangana. Similarly, he said the quota for the Backward Classes would be enhanced and the BC Commission has already been assigned the task to conduct a comprehensive study on the socio-economic status of BC communities and come up with recommendations to increase the quota.

The Chief Minister expressed confidence of overcoming all legal hurdles to implement the enhanced quota which touched 62% as against the 50% ceiling set by the Supreme Court as per Indira Sawhney's judgment. He said there were five states in the country, including Tamil Nadu, which are implementing more than 50% quota. He said the Supreme Court has allowed more than 50% quota under special circumstances which, he claimed, prevail in Telangana.

KCR appealed to the Central government to include the Telangana Reservation Bill in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution to give it legal immunity. He contended that the quota for the BC-E Muslims and STs have been increased not for political gains, but to ensure social justice and inclusive growth of all communities.

He said the state government would take up the matter with the Centre and in case the Union government refuses to support the reservation bill, then his government would approach the Supreme Court. He also dismissed fears that the enhanced 8% quota might affect the existing 4% Muslim quota under the BC-E category.

The Chief Minister said the increase in the reservations had been proposed after consulting eminent lawyers of the Apex court. He said they had emulated the Tamil Nadu bill in toto. “We have replaced the name of Tamil Nadu with Telangana and hence there should be no objection to accept the same,” he said.