PNS|Vijayawada
Reservation – the word was a dream for SCs, STs, BCs and minorities. In the name of reservation, several political parties have betrayed these sections of people in every election. People believed them and voted to elect them, but after forming the government, those political parties chose to neglect their promise. Even after several years, the Women’s Reservation Bill has not been passed by Parliament.
Indian Constitution Drafting Committee Chairman Dr BR Ambedkar worked hard for reservations for the SC/STs. CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy took inspiration from Ambedkar and is implementing 50 per cent reservations for all SCs, STs, BCs and minorities, and also women.
He had not promised to provide reservations either in his election manifesto or during the election campaign, but within three months of assuming the office of the Chief Minister, he implemented reservations for these sections.
To develop the next generation of political leaders and at the same time to give political uplift to the SCs, STs, BCs and minorities, Jagan has introduced 50 per cent reservations for them in nominated posts. He took Act no.24 of 2019 after taking over the Chief Minister post. It was history not only in Andhra Pradesh, but also in the country.
As per the new Act, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy constituted 137 State and district-level corporations and nominated his party leaders as chiefs. Of them, 58 per cent of nominated posts went to the SCs, STs, BCs and minorities. Also, the YSRCP government constituted as many as 56 BC corporations and nominated party leaders as their chairpersons. Also, several gram and mandal-level leaders got chairperson and director posts.
Before YSRCP came to power, none from those sections or women had been nominated to corporations. Only those who were financially sound, caste leaders and their relatives and friends got chairperson and director posts. Jagan changed it.
These reservations are not only limited to the nominated posts, but are applicable to local body posts like mayor, deputy mayor, municipal chairpersons, vice chairpersons, zilla parishad chairpersons and vice-chairpersons. Also, these reservations have been implemented in the allocation of nomination works such as Water Resources (Irrigation), Rural Drinking Water (RWS), Panchayat Raj and other government works.
Similarly, the YSRCP government has implemented reservations in job recruitment as well. In a first in the country, Andhra Pradesh introduced gram/ward sachivalayam and volunteer system. The State government implemented a reservation of one per cent for sports persons. As many as 2,500 outstanding sports persons got jobs in the gram/ward sachivalayam. Generally, sports reservations are applicable at the time of admissions to professional courses.
