AP assembly passes bill on reservation to Kapu community

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Saturday unanimously passed a bill providing 5% reservation to the Kapu community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota in educational institutions and government jobs, as the move triggered massive protests among the other OBC sections across the state.

Earlier, the state cabinet approved the Andhra Pradesh Kapu (Reservation of seats in educational institutions and of appointments in services under the state) Bill, 2017, based on reports submitted by majority members of the Justice Manjunatha Commission. Apart from Kapus, its sub-sections Balija, Ontari and Telaga communities will also be eligible.

Out of the four members of the Justice Manjunatha Commission, three members — M Purnachandra Rao, S Satyanarayana and V Subrahmanyam — favoured the Kreservation. Justice Manjunatha told the media that he was yet to submit his report and expressed surprise as to how the other members had given their reports without consulting him.

It is learnt Justice Manjunatha did not favour the reservation but only suggested financial assistance to the poorer sections. “Since majority of the members favoured inclusion of Kapus into the OBC list and extension of reservations to them, we went by their recommendations,” chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said, while introducing the bill in the assembly. He said the government would now send the bill to the Centre as the move exceeds the 50% reservation limit.

Several OBC associations organised protest demonstrations opposing the move. “The decision goes to the very spirit of social justice. Though the government says Kapus would have a separate quota ...they would gradually grab all the opportunities because they were socially more advanced than the OBCs. We will oppose the decision ...” said Andhra Pradesh Backward Classes Welfare Association president R Krishnaiah.