Resolutions passed seeking ST status for Boyas, SC for Dalit Christians
Vijayawada: The state assembly on Friday passed two resolutions requesting the Centre to include the Boyas/Valmikis in the ST list and the Dalit Christians in the SC list.
The two resolutions were moved by ministers Chelluboyina Srinivasa Venugopala Krishna and Meruga Nagarjuna respectively.
CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy assured the legislative assembly that the inclusion of the Boya/Valmiki community in the list of the STs would not affect the STs living in the Agency areas in the State.
The CM allayed the fears that the inclusion of the Boya/Valmiki community people living in the Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapur and Chittoor districts into the ST list will not reduce the quota of the STs of the Agency areas in government jobs or educational institutions as zoning system is in force as per the six-point formula.
The inclusion may have only negligible impact on the Group 1 jobs which come under the non-zoning category. It becomes negligible as only 386 Group 1 jobs were notified in the last 10 years and the 6% reservation only amounts to a meagre 21 or 22 posts, he said, adding it only means negligible. The one-man commission, headed by Samuel Anand Kumar, which studied the conditions of Boyas in the four districts and the ST Commission, also agreed with this assessment, said the CM.
Speaking on another resolution that sought approval of the House to request the central government to extend SC status to members of the Scheduled Caste community who converted to Christianity, the CM said that the economic and social status of the people doesn’t change automatically just because they convert to another religion. The House adopted the two resolutions urging the Centre to include Boyas in STs list and extend SC status to members of the SC community who converted to Christianity.
Courtesy : TOI
Note: This news piece was originally published in timesofindia.com and used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Rights.