Hyderabad, July 28 (IANS) The Telangana Cabinet on Monday decided to meet President Droupadi Murmu next month to urge her to give assent to two Bills passed by the State Assembly to increase reservation for Backward Classes to 42 per cent in education, employment and local bodies.

MPs of Congress and its allies, ministers, MLAs and MLCs from the state will meet the President in New Delhi to submit a memorandum.

The Cabinet took this decision at the meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy, at the state Secretariat.

Briefing media about the decisions taken by the Cabinet, Minister for Backward Classes Welfare Ponnam Prabhakar said Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy would lead the delegations to meet the President.

He said the President’s appointment would be sought for August 5, 6 and 7.

He said all ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other public representatives will leave for the national capital and camp there for three days.

He appealed to public representatives of the BJP and BRS, leaders of all Backward Class organisations and intellectuals to join them for the Delhi visit.

The Cabinet unanimously decided to intensify the movement for 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes and exert pressure on the Centre.

He recalled that following the caste survey conducted by the state government, two Bills were passed by the Assembly in March, and the Governor, after his approval, forwarded the same to the President for her assent. However, the President has not yet approved the Bills.

Ponnam Prabhakar said since the 50 per cent cap on total reservation was already breached with 10 per cent EWS quota, there should be no hurdle in enhancing the quota for Backward Classes.

He said that as per the decision taken by the Cabinet, an ordinance was prepared to amend the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act 2018 for 42 per cent reservation for BCs in the upcoming local body polls.

The draft ordinance was sent to the Governor on July 14. The state government hopes that the Governor will approve the same.

Ponnam Prabhakar demanded that Backward Class MPs of the BJP intervene and get the Centre’s approval for Backward Class Bills. He alleged that the BJP state president, Ramachander Rao, was speaking against the Backward Class reservation.

–IANS

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