AP Cabinet clears major boost for BC reservations in local bodies

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday took a significant step towards increasing political representation for Backward Classes (BCs), approving higher reservations for the community in rural and urban local bodies in line with the electoral promise made by the ruling alliance.

The issue of enhancing BC reservations was taken up as the first agenda item of the Cabinet meeting, with the government moving to implement its commitment to provide greater representation to BCs in local governance.

The Cabinet approved 34 per cent reservation for BCs in rural local bodies (RLBs) and 33⅓ per cent in urban local bodies (ULBs). The decision is expected to have a direct bearing on the upcoming local body elections, with the Cabinet deciding that elections to rural and urban local institutions should be conducted with the enhanced BC reservations. The government has also decided that the existing reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will remain unchanged.

The move assumes political significance as the previous government had reduced BC reservations in local bodies to 24 per cent. The ruling alliance has maintained that the reduction deprived BC communities of around 16,000 elected positions and had promised to restore their representation.

The Cabinet was also informed that the Dedicated Commission constituted to examine BC reservations is continuing its process. The government has been working on the reservation framework with the stated objective of ensuring that the upcoming local elections are conducted within the legal framework. The Cabinet also stressed the urgency of holding local body elections, particularly to enable urban and rural local institutions to access funds due from the Centre. It decided to proceed with elections to ULBs and RLBs based on the reservation provisions incorporated under law.

In another major decision concerning urban governance, the Cabinet approved direct elections for mayors and chairpersons of municipal corporations, municipalities and nagar panchayats, replacing the existing indirect method. The Cabinet further decided to reorganise the existing 13 Zilla Parishads into 28 Zilla Parishads, broadly aligning the structure with the State’s district reorganisation. The government will initiate the necessary administrative process for establishing the new Zilla Parishads.