T'gana to bring 2 bills to raise OBC quota to 42%

The Telangana government will introduce two separate bills in the upcoming budget session of the state assembly, seeking to provide 42% reservations to Other Backward Classes (OBCs)—one in the upcoming local body elections, another in education and employment, said state backward classes minister Ponnam Prabhakar.

- Srinivasa Rao Apparasu

HYDERABAD:

A decision to this effect was taken by the state cabinet after a marathon discussion for over six hours on Thursday night.

"The cabinet approved the bill to increase reservations for OBCs in local bodies from 23% to 42%. It also approved another bill providing 42% reservations for OBCs in public education and government jobs," Prabhakar told the reporters after the cabinet meeting.

Ahead of the 2023 Telangana assembly elections, the Congress promised to increase the OBC reservations in local bodies from 23% to 42%.

It also promised to implement a 42% OBC quota even in awarding government civil construction and maintenance contracts.

In 2017, the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government headed by K Chandrasekhar Rao enacted a legislation in the assembly increasing, among others, the reservations for OBCs in the local bodies from 23% to 37%.

The government then referred the bill to the Centre for approval, but it did not get the approval.