Telangana govt committed on 42 pc quota to Backward Classes: TPCC chief Goud

Hyderabad, Oct 16 (PTI) The Telangana government will put forth "perfect" arguments in the high court for providing 42 per cent reservation to Backward Classes in local bodies, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president B Mahesh Kumar Goud said on Thursday.

He said the Congress is committed to providing a 42 per cent quota to BCs and there is no question of going back on it, adding the government will continue its legal battle in this regard. Presently it is 23 per cent for BCs.

In a setback to the Telangana government, the Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed its petition challenging a high court order which stayed a government order providing 42 per cent reservation to Backward Classes in local bodies.

Goud said, "We will definitely make perfect arguments in the high court. There is a time of six weeks. We will fight it out in the high court. Whatever shortcomings are there...the government will fulfill it".

He further said the Congress is fully supporting and participating in the statewide bandh called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Backward Class (BC) associations on October 18 demanding implementation of 42 per cent quota for Backward Classes.

Meanwhile, senior BRS leader and former Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav demanded the Congress government that the local body polls should be held only after implementing 42 per cent reservation to the BCs through constitutional amendment and its inclusion in the Ninth Schedule (of Constitution).

The BRS and BJP have already extended their support to the JAC over the bandh call demanding 42 per cent reservations for BCs.

The Congress government in Telangana had issued the government order (GO) on September 26 to provide 42 per cent reservation to Backward Classes in local bodies.

The state government had challenged in the apex court the October 9 order of the Telangana High Court which had issued an interim stay on the GO.

While dismissing the plea, the bench said its order shall not affect the high court in deciding the petitions pending before it on its own merits.

The high court had passed the order on petitions which said the GO had raised the total reservation in local bodies to 67 per cent.

The petitioners had told the high court that the GO breached the 50 per cent ceiling on quota laid down by the top court in its verdicts.

The high court, while hearing the petitions challenging the GO, had directed the state to file its reply in four weeks. PTI VVK GDK VVK KH