Hyderabad: While continuing its efforts to press for 33% reservations for OBCs in the legislative bodies, the

Telangana government

has decided to undertake a survey soon on political representation of various castes among BCs. Based on this, the government will fix reservations for BCs both in rural and urban local bodies.
As of now, there is no fixed reservation for BCs in the local bodies.

BCs get up to 20% quota after extending reservations to SCs and STs based on their population.

The Telangana State BC Commission has been asked to take up the survey with the help of panchayat raj and municipal administration departments in all the gram panchayats, municipalities and GHMC in October.

Official sources said a crucial meeting with panchayat raj and municipal administration departments will be held for four days from September 25. The staff will obtain details from the households, especially from voters, based on a questionnaire. Telangana State Technology Services (TSTS) is developing a software to analyse the survey data which will be submitted to the state government.
Official sources said during the survey different questions will be asked such as BC population, per cent of BC voters in the village or municipal division or ward, educational qualifications, representation of BCs and their financial position.

“The BC commission is presently engaged in the study of fixing reservations to the BCs in local bodies elections as per the mandate given by the state government and in line with the directions of the Supreme Court. The apex court has directed all the states and Union territories to conduct triple test — a rigorous and empirical enquiry — in order to provide reservations to BCs in local bodies,” commission chairman Vakulabharanam Krishna Mohan Rao told TOI on Thursday.
He said for implementing the fixed BC reservations in the local bodies, states will have to comply with the triple test. “Some states like Odisha could not implement BC reservations as they have failed to comply with the triple test whereas some states like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh have successfully met the requirement,” he said.
Before taking up the survey, the commission visited Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to examine their models and methodology to avoid any legal hurdles in states like Bihar.
“We are confident that the report will be submitted to the state government with specific recommendations on the percentage of reservations to be provided in favour of BCs in the upcoming local bodies elections in the state,” Krishna Mohan Rao said.