Ensure that Protection of Backward Classes Act does not face legal, technical hurdles, Chief Minister Naidu tells officials

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu focuses on welfare of BCs, including reservation, education, and social security pension verification.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu instructed officials concerned to bring the proposed Special Act for Protection of Backward Classes (BCs) in such a manner that it does not run into any technical and legal hurdles after duly evaluating the recommendations of the Ministers’ Committee.

In a review meeting on the welfare of BCs on Monday, Mr. Naidu reiterated the government’s commitment to providing 34% reservation to the BCs in nominated posts, and discussed ways to restore 34% reservation in the local bodies. 

He noted that the BCs were deprived of 16,500 posts in the local bodies after the reservation had been reduced from 34% to 24% by the previous government.

Mr. Naidu told officials to undertake immediate repairs to BC hostels, strengthen 13 BC study circles and provide free training to 5,720 DSC candidates. 

He ordered that steps be taken for launching S.R. Sankaran Knowledge Centres at 104 BC hostels across 26 districts as pilot projects. These centres would focus on skill education, including spoken English, social-emotional skills, ethics, digital literacy, and legal awareness.

The Chief Minister told officials to verify the details of those receiving social security pensions in order to weed out the bogus ones. He observed that a large number of ineligible persons were taking pensions meant to be given to the physically challenged.