Bills exceeding quota cap: Andhra, Telangana wait for Centre nod

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who promised reservation to Kapus during his Assembly poll campaign in 2014, announced a 5 per cent quota for the community. The state government, it is learnt, was under pressure from the community and faced the possibility of losing its support ahead of the 2019 polls. The passage of the reservation Bill took the total quota in the state to 55 per cent.

In Telangana, the Assembly in April passed a legislation to increase the quota for Muslims from 4 per cent to 12 per cent, and that of Scheduled Tribes from 6 to 12 per cent, taking the total reservation to 62 per cent.  “Having announced the quotas, it is a challenge for both states to implement them. The beneficiaries won’t be happy unless the Centre clears the quotas and governments of AP and Telangana start implementing it,’’ said Leader of Opposition in Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir. He demanded that Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao make concerted efforts to get the Centre’s nod.

The Centre has so far kept on hold the TRS government’s requests to clear the legislation. Government sources said that although Rao sought a brief one-to-one meeting with Narendra Modi when he came to Hyderabad for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, the PMO declined, citing the PM’s tight schedule.

Rao has appealed to the Centre for states’ autonomy in decisions regarding quota. “The CM is of the opinion that how much percentage of quota is to be given for education and employment sectors should be left to the states. The social composition is different in each state. In Telangana, SC/ST/BC/Minorities are more. The majority of these communities are poor, and the increase in quota to Muslims is based on their social and economic condition, not religion,” said Telangana Backward Classes Commission Chairman B C Ramulu.

The ruling Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh is an ally of the NDA and is hoping that the Centre would clear the Kapu quota quickly.
An Andhra minister said, “I don’t think it would be that easy. If the Centre takes up the TDP’s request then it should also act on Telangana’s request to clear the increase in quota increase.” Kapu leader Mudragadda Padmanabham said, “Kapus won’t be happy until Chandrababu Naidu gets the Centre to agree and the state government implements the quota.’’