KCR seeks Modi’s nod to increase Muslim, Tribal quota to 12%

Amid the growing pressure from the Muslim community to fulfil the election promise of increasing the reservation to 12%, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao urged Prime Minister  Narendra Modi to give Centre’s nod to the concerned bill.

It was significant that in KCR’s meeting with Modi in New Delhi the issue of enhancing the quota for the backward sections of Muslim minority as well as the scheduled tribes to 12% was on the top of the agenda.

KCR drew attention of the Prime Minister to the fact that 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 states) bill 2017 was passed by the state legislature on April 16 2017 but it was still pending with the Union Home Ministry.

In a detailed representations to the Prime Minister KCR pointed out that after the formation of Telangana state proportion of weaker sections population had increased compared to the combined state of Andhra Pradesh. “Thus post bifurcation the share of STS in Telangana has increased from 7.11 in undivided Andhra Pradesh to 9.08%. Likewise the population of Muslims in Telangana increased from 9.56% to 12.68%. The proportion of backward communities population has increased to over 50% of total population.Therefore there arose a need to relook at the percentage of reservations in favor of SC/ST/BC in the state”, he said in the letter.

While noting that the Supreme Court had capped the reservation at 50%, the letter also added that the Supreme Court clarified that if it should exceed 50% the state shall out a case showing compelling circumstances for the same. “Tamil Nadu is providing 69% reservation in the state”, KCR said in the letter.

Though the Chief Minister also raised several other demands and pending matters including the presidential order on the new zonal system, separate high court for Telangana, grant of Rs 20000 crore for Kaleshwaram project , railway projects, IIM and IIIT and handing over the Bison Polo Ground lands for constructing new secretariat in Hyderabad, in the official press release reservation issue was on the top clearly suggesting that the TRS government was feeling the heat from the minority in the backdrop of the fast approaching elections.