Telangana announces 10% reservation for tribals as KCR dares Centre

The chief minister, speaking at the Adivasi Banjara Atmiya Sabha at NTR Stadium in Hyderabad, said the state government would issue a GO hiking the reservation for the tribals in 10 days.

KCR said he was tired of asking the Central government to act on the resolution sent by the state Assembly seeking raising of the reservation for tribals.

“I have decided not to wait any longer. We will issue a GO and let the Centre decide whether it would honour it or make it a rope to hang itself with,” he said.

The TRS chief recalled that in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, the percentage of reservations was six.

The Telangana Assembly passed a resolution urging the Centre to raise it to 10 percent about seven years ago but nothing has happened ever since.

“Though we have requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our plea has not been acted upon,” he said.

The chief minister said he wanted a reply from Union Home Minister Amit Shah as to what was holding the Centre back from clearing the resolution.

“If you do it, we can implement reservations immediately. I request him to send the resolution to the President for her assent,” he said.

KCR asserted that nowhere in the Constitution had it been laid down that reservation should not be more than 50 percent, and in Tamil Naidu, it was 69 percent.

“In such a case, why shouldn’t the same provision be applied to Telangana?” he asked.