BC Welfare Association urges State not to auction lands  

National Backward Classes Welfare Association urges government to allocate lands for BC hostels and schools, not auction them.

The National Backward Classes Welfare Association has urged the State government to reconsider its decision to auction government lands to raise funds, including the recent notification to auction 400 acres of land at Gachibowli.

A team led by association president R. Krishnaiah met with Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on Wednesday at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Secretariat to discuss the proposal. Instead of selling the lands, the association urged the minister to focus on building hostels, residential schools, and colleges for Backward Classes (BC) students, as many BC educational institutions are currently operating from private properties.

Mr. Krishnaiah pointed out that none of the 295 BC hostels in the State had their own buildings, and 320 BC Gurkuls also lacked their buildings. “It is ironic that the government is spending hundreds of crores on infrastructure projects like flyovers and underpasses, but isn’t prioritising the construction of buildings for BC residential schools and hostels,” he lamented.

The association also reminded the minister that they had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to request funding for BC hostels and residential schools. Additionally, they had met the social justice minister, who promised to release 80% of the costs for BC girls’ hostels and 60% of the costs for BC boys’ hostels, provided the State government allocates land for these hostels. Therefore, the association urged the government not to sell the lands but instead allocate them for BC hostels and residential schools.