Stating that the Congress has no objection to the bill proposed to be introduced in Parliament to provide reservations for women, Reddy said his government would be ready to pass legislation on women’s quota in the Assembly.
Attacking the BRS, he said SCs, STs and backward classes did not have adequate representation in the cabinet when the regional party was in power.
In contrast, he said, the Congress government has ensured representation of leaders from these communities in the cabinet and other key posts.
In a veiled criticism of BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao, he said some leaders were not attending the Assembly sessions as they would have to respectfully address chairman Gaddam Prasad Kumar, a Dalit leader.
He also highlighted the measures taken by the Congress government for the welfare of SCs, STs and Backward Classes, including the appointment of persons from these sections as Vice-Chancellors.
Most of the beneficiaries of the 4.50 lakh Indiramma housing scheme belong to SCs and STs.
Of the 67,000 government jobs filled by his government in the last two years, over 50,000 were given to SCs, STs, backward classes and minorities, he said.
Warning that delimitation based on a proportional formula would cause “injustice” to southern states, Reddy on Monday called for a consensus-building process through wider consultations with political parties and others.
Reddy asked the Chief Minister to consider a “hybrid” model of the limits, in which 50 percent of the seats would be raised on a proportional basis and the remaining 50 percent based on GSDP.
Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy on Monday said the Congress never responded positively to women’s reservation despite being in power for a long time, though supporters like BR Ambedkar also favored it.
He said a delimitation committee headed by a Supreme Court judge, along with state-level committees, would be appointed and public opinion would be elicited.
(With data from PTI)
