
Hyderabad: All India Majlis e Ittehad ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi has urged the state government to increase the reservation for the backward classes (BC) in the local bodies to 50 percent. As the 50 percent ceiling on reservations has been breached by implementing 54 percent in local bodies, he felt it wouldn’t be a problem.
Speaking in the Assembly during a special session on tabling the statement of the BC census on Tuesday, February 4, Owaisi drew various discrepancies between the data with regard to the population of various communities in the state.
While appreciating the state government for conducting the comprehensive socio-economic, political, educational and employment survey, he expressed concerns over the state government’s claim that 3,54,77,554 people have been surveyed.
He said that as per the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in March 2023, the population of Telangana was around 3,80,90,000, and as per the 2011 population census it was 3,50,31,674, and as per the Samagra Kutumba Survey (SKS) carried out in 2014, the population was 3,66,37,160.
Questioning what was the accurate number, he requested the state government to table the survey report, instead of just tabling the “findings” of the report.
Chief minister A Revanth Reddy, replying to Owaisi, said that the state government was ready to table three volumes out of the four volumes of the caste survey, but not the fourth volume, as the data in that report was confidential and couldn’t be revealed as per the Data Privacy Act.
On the discrepancies in the population number in various reports, he pointed out that as per the 2014 SKs report, the population of BCs was 51 percent, but as per the state government’s report, it was 56.33 percent (including BC A, B, C, D and E sections).
Similarly, he said that the OC population was 21.55 percent in the 2014 report, which was found to be 15.79 percent. The STs population was 9.8 percent in the 2014 report, which has now been ascertained as 10.45 percent.
He pointed out that even the Muslim population which was 11 percent as per the 2014 report, was 12.6 percent as per the 2024 report.
He said that if the 2014 SKS was considered, the total percentage of all sections combined would add up to 114 percent.
Calling the 2014 survey report a “Faltoo Document,” Revanth Reddy clarified that the 2014 SKS was not an official one, as it was neither tabled in the Assembly nor was it placed on any of the official websites of the state government.
“They would give the data from the survey to the Limca Book of Records, but not to the cabinet, or the state assembly. Will the Limca Book do justice to the BCs? How long will they fool the people,” Revanth asked, alleging that the BRS government has used the SKS only before the elections.
Revanth Reddy said that as per the central government, 1.20 percent of the population has been increasing year-by-year in Telangana, and the difference between births and deaths has stabilised. He said that three lakh households which missed the survey would mean around 16 lakh people were not covered in the survey.
Revanth Reddy advised Owaisi not to fall into the trap of the “association of lies”.
Akbaruddin Owaisi presented data to show that between 2014 to 2018, Rs 6,607.48 crore was allocated for BCs, but only Rs 417.57 crore was spent, which was just 6.32 percent spent.
He stressed the need for legislation to make it mandatory to spend what has been allocated, and if the funds are not spent, they need to be carried forward along the lines of the SC sub-plan.
Owaisi also said that what was promised in the Congress’ 2023 election manifesto was not reflected in the statement which was being discussed in the Assembly.
Speaking during the short discussion on the SC sub-classification in the Assembly, Owaisi once again questioned why the report submitted by the one-man commission of retired justice Shameem Akhter was not tabled.
Also reminding that the Congress had promised to raise the reservations for SCs to 18 percent as per the Chevella SC/ST Declaration of the Congress, he questioned why the state government settled for just 15 percent reservation as recommended by the commission.
He questioned why the commission used the 2011 census as the basis for its report instead of the comprehensive caste survey conducted by the state government in 2024. He also suggested reworking the categorization of SC sub-classes into four categories instead of the three proposed in the commission’s report. Additionally, he reminded the state government of its promise to provide Ambedkar Abhayahastham to 12 lakh Dalits, urging it to spend Rs 33,123 crore earmarked for SCs in the budget. He further emphasized the need for fool-proof legislation to implement SC sub-classification in the state.
He questioned why the commission used the 2011 census as the basis for its report instead of the comprehensive caste survey conducted by the state government in 2024. He further suggested reworking the categorization of SC sub-classes into four categories instead of the three proposed in the commission’s report.
Additionally, he reminded the state government of its promise to provide Ambedkar Abhayahastham to 12 lakh Dalits, urging it to spend Rs 33,123 crore earmarked for SCs in the budget and emphasising the need for fool-proof legislation to implement SC sub-classification in the state.