Telangana Congress leaders thank Governor over legislation giving 42% quota to BCs

Ruling Congress leaders in Telangana on Friday thanked Governor Jishnu Dev Varma for forwarding the legislation that increases reservation to backward classes to 42 per cent for Presidential assent.

The state Legislative Assembly in March this year passed two bills to increase the reservation to backward classes to 42 per cent in educational institutions, employment, and local body posts.

Speaking to reporters after meeting the Governor, state Backward Classes Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said the legislation providing 42 per cent quota, preceded by a caste survey, stood as a "role model" in the country.

Congress leaders, belonging to backward classes, thanked the Governor for sending the legislation to the President.

Saying that Telangana took the initiative in conducting caste survey, he welcomed the Centre's decision to include caste enumeration in the general census.

State Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud said the decision to provide 42 per cent reservation for BCs is historic.

The credit for the Centre's decision to include caste enumeration in census goes to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who was the "first national leader" to raise the issue of caste survey, Goud said.