KCR urges PM to approve Muslim Reservation Bill

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to approve the Muslim Reservation bill and accord national status to either Palamur–Ranga Reddy Lift scheme or Kaleshwaram irrigation project. He also urged Modi to link up employment guarantee scheme to agriculture sector and support the 2013 Land Acquisition Act.
During his one-and-a-half hour meeting with Narendra Modi, KCR is said to have explained about the State Government’s steps to offer Rs 8,000 per acre for two seasons towards fertilizers as it will boost the morale of the farmers, who have so far been neglected by the previous governments. The decision to offer Rs 4000 to each acre is a welfare measure and prove handy to put an end to unending suicides and remove poverty among peasants who are falling prey to money lenders, he said.
KCR who attended NITI Ayog meeting on Sunday and Monday called on the Prime Minister and made a fervent appeal that Muslim Reservation bill sent by the State be approved by including it in the 9th schedule of the Constitution. “The Centre should give free hand to the States to take some policy decisions and steps for the welfare of the most backward Muslim Minorities and Scheduled Tribes whose reservations are increased to 12 per cent from 4 per cent and 10 per cent from 6 per cent respectively.
KCR learnt to have brought to the notice of the Prime Minister that the reservations for Muslims under BC-E category be given approval as the Centre had already gave similar reservation hikes for a few other States like Tamil Nadu, Odisha and some of the North Eastern states. The Muslim reservations bill should not be seen as a religious one as the community was lagging behind in all sectors for a few decades KCR is learnt to have informed the Prime Minister.
The meeting gains significance as Modi during BJP executive meeting said there was a need for focusing on the backwardness of the Muslims in the country. Since the Muslims are backward both economically and socially, the State government has come up with the reservations bill for the welfare, he insisted. Other issues that prominently figured during the Modi- KCR meeting are to resolve the pending issues pertaining to Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, High Court bifurcation among the two Telugu Sates, one nation-one time elections and freedom to the States for providing reservations. KCR also touched upon the need for increasing Assembly seats and more financial assistance to backward districts, uniform service rules for teachers, implications of note ban and reduction in revenues from various sources and other national issues.
KCR also called on Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and sought cooperation for speedy disposal of High Court bifurcation, land acquisition act and increase of Assembly seats. (NSS)