Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is preparing to provide 42 percent reservation to BCs in local body elections through the government itself. In the context of the two BC reservation bills passed by the Legislative Assembly being pending with the President, and the two ordinances sent to the Governor also going to the President, the state cabinet has decided to reintroduce the two bills in the Legislative Assembly on Sunday in place of the ordinances and approve them immediately.
This decision was taken in the context of the approaching deadline set by the High Court to complete the local body elections by September 30, and the Finance Commission funds due to the governing bodies or local bodies from the Center being stopped.
The bills amending the Panchayati Raj Act-2018 and the Municipal Administration Act-2019, removing the cap that the total reservation should not exceed 50 percent, will be introduced in the Legislative Assembly on Sunday and approved.
In addition, a special GO will be issued applying 42 reservations to BCs. The state cabinet has taken another key decision by proposing Professor Kodandaram and Ex MP Mohammed Azharuddin as MLCs under the Governor’s quota.
The meeting held for more than an hour on Saturday afternoon in the Legislative Assembly Committee Hall under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy mainly discussed BC reservations, flood damage and selection of MLC candidates.
Later, Ministers Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and Ponnam Prabhakar disclosed the details of the meeting to reporters at the Secretariat. Srinivasa Reddy said that two ordinances providing 42 percent reservation for BCs in local bodies and educational jobs have already been drafted and sent to the Governor for approval.
Since they were not approved, the cabinet has decided to introduce two amendment bills in the Legislative Assembly in their place.
He said that the aim of these amendment laws is to remove the provisions in the Panchayati Raj Act-2018 and the Municipal Administration Act-2019 that the reservation should not exceed 50 percent. In addition, the Cabinet has decided to issue a special GO to create 42 reservations for BCs in rural and urban local bodies.