Hyderabad: AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi has urged the state government to increase the reservation for the backward classes (BC) in the local bodies to 50%. As the 50% ceiling on reservations has been breached by implementing 54% in local bodies, he felt it wouldn’t be a problem.
Speaking in the assembly during a special session on tabling the statement of the BC census on Tuesday, February 4, Owaisi drew various discrepancies between the data with regard to the population of various communities in the state.
While appreciating the state government for conducting the comprehensive socio-economic, political, educational and employment survey, he expressed concerns over the state government’s claim that 3,54,77,554 people have been surveyed.
He said that as per the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in March 2023, the population of Telangana was around 3,80,90,000, and as per the 2011 population census it was 3,50,31,674, and as per the Samagra Kutumba Survey (SKS) carried out in 2014, the population was 3,66,37,160.
Questioning what was the accurate number, he requested the state government to table the survey report, instead of just tabling the “findings” of the report.
Telangana Assembly urges Centre to conduct nationwide caste survey
Chief minister A Revanth Reddy, replying to Owaisi, said that the state government was ready to table three volumes out of the four volumes of the caste survey, but not the fourth volume, as the data in that report was confidential and couldn’t be revealed as per the Data Privacy Act.
On the discrepancies in the population number in various reports, he pointed out that as per the 2014 SKs report, the population of BCs was 51%, but as per the state government’s report it was 56.33% (including BC A,B,C, D and E sections).
Similarly, he said that OC population was 21.55% in the 2014 report, which was found to be 15.79%. The STs population was 9.8% in 2014 report, which has now been ascertained as 10.45%.
He pointed out that even Muslims population which was 11% as per 2014 report, was 12.6% as per 2024 report.
He said that if the 2014 SKS was considered, the total percentage of all sections combined would add up to 114%.
Calling the 2014 survey report as a “Faltoo Document,” Revanth Reddy clarified that the 2014 SKS was not an official one, as it was neither tabled in the assembly, nor was it placed in any of the official websites of the state government.
“They would give the data from the survey to the Limca Book of Records, but not to the cabinet, or the state assembly. Will the Limca Book do justice to the BCs? How long will they fool the people,” Revanth asked, alleging that the BRS government has used the SKS only before the elections.
Revanth Reddy said that as per the central government, 1.20% of population has bene increasing year-by-year in Telangana, and the difference between births and deaths has stabilised. He said that 3 lakh households which missed the survey would mean around 16 lakh people were not covered in the survey.
Asking Owaisi not to fall into the trap of the “association of lies,” Revanth Reddy advised Owaisi.
Akbaruddin Owaisi presented data to show that between 2014 to 2018, Rs 6,607.48 crore was allocated for BCs, but only Rs 417.57 crore was spent, which was just 6.32% spent.
He stressed the need for bringing a legislation to make it mandatory to spent what has been allocated, and if the funds are not spent, they need to be carried forward on the lines of the SC sub-plan.
Owaisi also said that what was promised in the Congress’ 2023 election manifesto was not reflecting in the statement which was being discussed in the assembly.
Speaking during the short-discussion on the SC sub-classification in the assembly, Owaisi once again questioned why the report submitted by the one-man commission pf retired justice Shameem Akhter was not tabled in the assembly.
Also reminding that the Congress had promised to raise the reservations for SCs to 18% as per the Chevella SC/ST Declaration of the Congress, he questioned why the state government settled for just 15% reservation as recommended by the commission.
He also wondered why the commission took 2011 census as the basis for preparing the report instead of the comprehensive caste survey undertaken by the state government in 2024.
He also suggested reworking of categorizing SC sub-classes into 4 categories, instead of grouping them into 3 categories as per the commission’s report.
He also reminded the state government of assuring Ambedkar Abhayahastham to 12 lakh Dalits as promised in its election manifesto, and to spend Rs 33,123 crore as earmarked in the budget to be spent on SCs.
He asked the state government to bring in fool-proof legislation to implement the SC sub-classification in the state.
