Hyderabad: The Telangana Assembly has approved the Scheduled Caste (SC) Sub-Categorization Bill, marking a significant legislative move aimed at addressing long-standing concerns within the Dalit community. The bill, introduced by Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha on Monday, received cabinet approval, with the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) extending its full support.
Congress’ Commitment to Dalit Welfare
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, speaking on the occasion, emphasized the Congress party’s historical role in empowering SC communities. He recalled that Congress had provided key opportunities to Dalit leaders, including appointing Babu Jagjivan Ram to significant Union Cabinet positions and making Damodaram Sanjivayya the first SC Chief Minister in the country.
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Highlighting the decades-long struggle for SC sub-categorization, Revanth Reddy acknowledged the sacrifices made by many in the pursuit of this reform. He pointed out that Congress had initiated efforts to address this issue as early as 2004 by forming the Usha Mehra Committee. Expressing satisfaction over the resolution of the matter under his leadership, he stated that the state government acted within an hour of the Supreme Court’s verdict favoring sub-categorization.
Implementation Based on Commission Recommendations
The Chief Minister further informed the Assembly that a cabinet sub-committee, led by Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, was formed to examine the issue, resulting in the appointment of the Shameem Akhtar Commission. The commission reviewed 8,681 public representations and recommended dividing 59 SC sub-castes into three groups based on their access to benefits. The government approved the recommendations in full, ensuring equitable distribution of reservations among sub-categories.