By P. Srinivas
Copyright deccanchronicle
Nalgonda: Irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Friday said that the reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) in education, employment, and local body elections adopted by the state government were aimed at ensuring social justice.Unveiling the statue of Chakali Ilamma at Burugadda in Huzurnagar mandal, Suryapet district, he said the state government had successfully conducted a caste census covering 3.7 crore people, which confirmed that BCs constitute 50 per cent of Telangana’s population. He pointed out that Telangana is the only state in the country to have conducted such a census after independence.The minister said the state Cabinet had approved 42 per cent reservation for BCs in education, employment, and local elections, and passed a Bill to this effect in the Legislative Assembly. He stressed that the Congress government was committed to the welfare and uplift of BCs.Uttam Kumar Reddy said Palakeedu mandal would be transformed into a green pasture after the completion of the Jawahar Janphad and Bette Thanda lift irrigation schemes. He recalled that ₹2.6 crore had been sanctioned for repairs to the Burugadda irrigation tank bund, which was breached during last year’s heavy monsoon rains.Listing development works in Huzurnagar, he said a Government Junior College building was constructed at a cost of ₹7.5 crore, while a Government Degree College building was completed at ₹4.5 crore. The area hospital was upgraded into a 100-bed facility with a dialysis centre and CT scan unit to provide quality healthcare to the poor. An Industrial Training Institute (ITI) and an Advanced Training Centre (ATC) were also sanctioned with estimated costs of ₹6 crore and ₹40 crore, respectively.“I am striving to improve the living conditions of people in my constituency by strengthening education, health, irrigation, drinking water supply, and basic amenities in all villages,” he said.He added that ₹20.3 crore had been sanctioned for internal roads in tribal areas of Huzurnagar constituency and instructed officials to ensure quality and timely completion. Earlier, he inaugurated a metal link road laid between Alingapuram and Raghavapuram in Palakeedu mandal, constructed at a cost of ₹1 crore.
