Chandrababu Naidu Calls for Special Act to Safeguard Backward Classes and Ensure Welfare Measures

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to draft a Special Act for the Protection of Backward Classes (BCs) that avoids technical and legal challenges. The proposed act, based on the recommendations of the Ministers’ Committee, was discussed during a review meeting on BC welfare held on Monday.

Reiterating his government’s commitment, Naidu emphasized restoring the 34% reservation for BCs in nominated posts and local bodies. He highlighted the loss of 16,500 local body posts for BCs after the previous government reduced their quota from 34% to 24%. Naidu assured that necessary steps would be taken to reverse this decision and safeguard the promised reservations.

The Chief Minister also instructed officials to undertake immediate repairs to BC hostels and strengthen the existing 13 BC study circles. He announced plans to provide free training to 5,720 DSC candidates and launch S.R. Sankaran Knowledge Centres in 104 BC hostels across 26 districts as a pilot initiative. These centers will focus on skill development, offering training in spoken English, social-emotional skills, digital literacy, ethics, and legal awareness.

Addressing concerns about social security pensions, Naidu called for a thorough verification of beneficiaries to identify and remove ineligible recipients, particularly those falsely claiming pensions under the physically challenged category. He stressed the importance of ensuring that only genuine beneficiaries receive support, underscoring the government’s policy of fairness and accountability.

The meeting underscored the TDP-led government’s commitment to BC welfare, with Naidu instructing officials to prioritize the execution of these initiatives swiftly and effectively.