The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : 3 Ministers for inclusion of Kapus in BC list

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Saturday, Jul 14, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

3 Ministers for inclusion of Kapus in BC list

Continuation of the scholarship to Kapu students favoured

The issue was raised during the Cabinet meeting
‘State has already reached the 50 per cent ceiling’

HYDERABAD: Three Ministers hailing from the Backward Classes communities urged the Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy at a Cabinet meeting here on Friday to consider the plea of Kapus and 12 other castes to be included in the list of BCs.

Housing Minister Botcha Satyanarayana raised the issue while the Cabinet was discussing the issue of payment of post-matric scholarships for Kapus and other students of Backward Classes communities.

Sources said the Minister tried to impress upon the Chief Minister the need to include these castes in the BC list in fulfilment of the Congress’ promise earlier. He is reported to have noted that Kapu students were provided scholarships to the tune of Rs. 1.76 crore last year and the demand this year has gone up to Rs. 7.60 crore.

Scholarships

Mr. Satyanarayana along with D. Srinivas (Higher Education) and Kanna Lakshminarayana (Transport) favoured continuation of the scholarship to Kapu students. When Dr. Reddy sought the opinion of officials of the BC Welfare Department, they said the State had already reached the 50 per cent ceiling on reservations through the recent introduction of four per cent quota for Muslims.

The Ministers, however, insisted that the ceiling itself should be raised on the pattern of Tamil Nadu where the total quota is 69 per cent. They suggested that the Supreme Court, while disallowing reservations in excess of 50 per cent, had said they could be enhanced under special circumstances. They proposed the constitution of an expert committee to study the demand.

Dr. Reddy is believed to have expressed dissatisfaction at the delay in implementing GO 610 and repatriating of non-locals to the respective districts. He reminded the officials that he given an assurance in the Assembly that the GO would be implemented by June 30.

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