Telangana Judicial Commission to Submit Report on Sub-Classification of SCs
The one-member Judicial Commission, led by retired High Court judge Justice Shameem Akhtar, is poised to submit its report on the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes (SCs) to the Telangana Cabinet Sub-Committee. This report, which holds significant importance for ensuring fair distribution of resources among various SC communities, will be discussed at the Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
The Cabinet Sub-Committee, formed on September 12, 2024, under the leadership of Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy as Chairman and Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha as co-chairman, was tasked with implementing the Supreme Court’s order on SC sub-classification. The committee also includes Ministers D. Seethakka, Ponnam Prabhakar, D. Sridhar Babu, and MP Mallu Ravi as members.
Following the Sub-Committee’s recommendation, the state government appointed the Judicial Commission in October, with Justice Akhtar at the helm. The Commission has since examined various aspects of the issue, particularly focusing on intra-backwardness among different castes within the SCs, and prepared its report for consideration.
The Sub-Committee will now discuss the findings and suggestions in the report, before making formal recommendations to the Cabinet. These recommendations, along with the Commission’s report, will be presented at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
The process began in response to the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment on August 1, which emphasized the need for sub-classification within the SC reserved categories. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had welcomed this judgment, announcing that Telangana would be the first state to implement it. To ensure comprehensive implementation, the state government has been proactive, with plans to potentially issue an ordinance to align job notifications with the Supreme Court’s directive.
In preparation for the report, the Commission received 1,082 representations from various communities, organizations, and individuals on the issue. Additionally, state teams visited Punjab and Tamil Nadu to study the implementation of similar sub-classification measures in those states. The findings of this extensive research will play a key role in the upcoming discussions and decisions at the Cabinet level.
