TRS Govt betrayed STs by not enhancing quota: Uttam Kumar Reddy

Hyderabad: Nalgonda MP & former TPCC President Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has strongly condemned TRS Govt for not enhancing the reservation percentage in jobs and education for Scheduled Tribes in Telangana.

Addressing a series of meetings in different villages and Thandas of Huzurnagar constituency in Suryapet district on the 11tth day of Rachabanda/Rythu Bharosa Yatra on Tuesday, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Tribals were betrayed by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao who did not fulfill the promise of increasing their quota to 12% from present 6%. He said that the Chief Minister never addressed the issue seriously and always banked upon the other loophole to delay the reservation.

He said that the STs constitute nearly 9.08% of the State's population. Therefore, their quota could be increased to at least 10% by issuing a GO. No legal complications are involved in enhancing the quota in proportionate to their population and it can be done by issuing a GO. But KCR created complications after the State Assembly passed 'The ServicesTelangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of seats in educational institutions and appointments or posts in the Services under the State) Bill, 2017 proposing to increase the ST reservation from 6% to 10%. He said enhancing the ST reservation proportionate to their population was not a difficult task. Since KCR is not serious, he created different legal hurdles. Consequently, he said that the STs did not get the deserved additional 4% quota for the last eight years and they lost thousands of jobs and lakhs of free seats in government colleges.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also slammed BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for politicising the ST quota issue. He said Amit Shah wrongly linked the ST quota with the 4% Muslim BC-E quota. "During his visit to Hyderabad, Amit Shah had announced that BJP Govt would scrap the 4% Muslim quota and distribute it among SC, ST and BC. This is both ridiculous and condemnable. If BJP is serious about enhancing the ST quota, it can do so by simply approving the Reservation Bill passed by the Telangana Assembly in 2017," he said. He advised the BJP to think constructively by enhancing the ST quota and not act negatively by proposing to remove the Muslim quota.

The Congress MP said that the TRS Govt was not sincere towards the Tribals. He said none of the ST families got the promised three acres of land for cultivation or the double bedroom houses. He said that Tribal Thandas, which were upgraded as Gram Panchayats, did not receive any funds. They are being deprived of the powers and funds to develop their Thandas, he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that both TRS and BJP were trying to exploit the STs during elections. He said only the Congress party had the potential and political will to increase the ST quota in proportionate to their population.

The Congress MP said that AICC leader Rahul Gandhi had unveiled the Warangal Declaration on May 6 promising crop loan waiver up to Rs. 2 lakh, Rs. 15,000 financial assistance and other assurances. He said that the Congress party would soon come up with a Tribal Declaration covering all major issues concerning the Tribal community.