Telangana govt will implement 69% quota in local bodies: Revanth Reddy

Chennai: The Telangana government will implement 69 per cent reservation, including 42 per cent for OBCs, in local bodies, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy informed on Thursday.

This also envisaged a 27 per cent reservation for SC/ST.

"Put together, the Telangana government will implement 69 per cent reservation in the local bodies, inspired by Tamil Nadu," he said.

Speaking at a Tamil Nadu government event to celebrate the success of the special initiatives to improve education he said the state "excels in education." Reddy said he has decided to ensure the education of SCT and minority students under one roof. He has allocated lands to establish the infrastructure in all the assembly constituencies, he added.

"I want to improve education. We have tied up with Tata (Company) to upgrade all ITIs as advanced technology centres using AI and robotics to train the students."

"Drawing inspiration from you, I will give monthly scholarship of Rs 2,000 from the next academic year," Revanth said, pointing towards Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin. Also, Telangana government would implement a scheme similar to the TN CM Breakfast scheme, "a heart-touching scheme, for the children of the poorest of the poor from the next academic year."

"Like Tamil Nadu, Telangana also believes that investment in education is not charity but justice and a fundamental right. This is an investment for future generations," he added.

Lauding the Tamil Nadu government under Stalin for launching several pioneering schemes to improve the nutrition, education, skills, and employability of the students, Reddy said that the entire country should emulate TN's education initiatives.

"Tamil Nadu is the land of great leaders like C N Annadurai, M Karunanidhi and K Kamaraj," he said and congratulated Stalin and his deputy CM son Udhayanidhi for implementing the philosophy of Karunanidhi.

"You are lucky that you have one of the finest Chief Ministers in Stalin to take care of the poorest of the poor in Tamil Nadu," he said.

Tamils and Telugus shared a strong historical and cultural bond for centuries. In modern times, Tamil Nadu manufacturing growth and Telangana's IT and pharma boom made the Indian economy grow. The Hyderabad-Chennai corridor became a critical industrial and knowledge hub.

Both TN and Telangana had similar policies on the social justice front inspired by Karunidhi.

Reddy, who holds the education portfolio, said the Young India Skills University started under public-private partnership, ensured 100 per cent jobs for students.

"We started Young India Sports University. We will start a Sports Academy. If TN government recommends, then I am willing to accommodate Tamil students in my sports university and sports academy," he said.

Both the southern states had a collective responsibility to secure gold medals in the 2028 Olympics, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were "not doing the job to get more gold in the Olympics," he claimed.