Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced plans to extend all existing welfare schemes to Backward Classes (BCs) and launch special initiatives for the welfare of the community.
Chairing a review meeting on Monday to assess the progress of promises made to the BCs during the election campaign, the Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that there are no legal or technical issues with the proposed special legislation for the safety and security of BCs. As promised during the Assembly elections, the government will enact a special law for the protection of the community.
A committee of Cabinet Ministers was formed to study the feasibility of the legislation, and the panel recently submitted its preliminary report. During the review meeting, officials briefed the Chief Minister on the report, after which he instructed them to make further efforts to prevent any potential legal issues when the law is enacted.
The Chief Minister also reiterated the TDP-led NDA government’s commitment to implementing a 34% reservation for BCs in nominated posts, as promised during the election. He assured that this will be given legal backing, with a decision on the law’s enactment to be made soon. Naidu highlighted that the previous government had reduced the BC reservation from 34% to 24% in local bodies, resulting in the loss of 16,500 posts for BCs.
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He criticised the negligence of the previous government, which led to the suffering of BCs, and assured that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure the legal validity of the 34% quota. He instructed officials to conduct a detailed study of related court judgments before proceeding.
The Chief Minister also directed that urgent repairs be carried out at girls’ hostels and that pending diet bills be cleared. He mentioned that Rs 110.52 crore in diet bills had been pending under the previous government, but the TDP-led NDA government had cleared Rs 76.38 crore. He instructed officials to clear the remaining dues promptly.
Chandrababu further emphasised the swift completion of the three BC buildings under construction and urged officials to acquire land in other districts for similar projects. He approved the release of Rs 5.4 crore for constructing four Kapu Bhavans.
When informed about the success of the AP Brahmin Cooperative Finance Society, established during the previous TDP regime, the Chief Minister proposed forming similar finance societies for all communities in the state to strengthen their financial standing.
Chandrababu also called for the establishment of SR Sankaran Knowledge Centres across the state to offer spoken English classes, social-emotional skills, and legal awareness to youth.
The Chief Minister expressed his concern that only eligible persons should receive pension benefits and instructed officials to implement clear guidelines to determine eligibility.
The review meeting was attended by Ministers Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy and Savitha, among others.
