Minister Satyavathi for hike in ST reservations

Tribal and women welfare minister Satyavathi Rathod on Thursday stressed on the need to increase ST reservations in proportion to their percentage of population. She sought the Union government’s support in restoring G. O. 3 that facilitates cent per cent reservation for Scheduled Tribe (ST) teachers in scheduled areas of Telangana.

She was speaking at a two-day National Tribal Research Conclave organised by the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry and Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA).

The minister explained that the tribal population in Telangana after bifurcation was 9.08 per cent of the total population, but the percentage of reservation for them was only 6.5. This resulted in many talented young men and women losing opportunities in employment and education.

She sought help from the centre to ensure that 100 percent local youth secure jobs in the scheduled areas, which G. O. 3 of Telangana ensures.

Stating that the state government is implementing all the centrally sponsored schemes, Satyavathi thanked Union tribal affairs minister Arjun Munda for his guidance during Coronavirus-induced lockdown. She also urged the Union minister to grant permission to start academic work at the Tribal University in Telangana at the earliest.

She pointed out that Telangana government has completed all the spade work as per UGC norms and allocated 350 acres of land for establishment of the Tribal University. But while Andhra Pradesh has started the university, Telangana is still waiting.