Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy announced on Wednesday that the government will take steps towards conducting a caste census for the Backward Classes (BCs). However, this will only happen after the new chairman of the BC Commission is appointed, as the current chairman’s term ends on August 31. Reddy shared these plans during an informal interaction with reporters at the Secretariat.
The Chief Minister also mentioned that the government will begin the process for panchayat elections once the voter list is submitted. He assured that there is no immediate risk of losing Finance Commission funds. The Centre had sent the voter list about two weeks ago, and the next steps involve identifying wards, determining population numbers, and setting up reservations.
In other developments, Reddy confirmed that a new Osmania Hospital will be built at Goshamahal Stadium. The decision was made after considering various factors, and all the existing facilities at Goshamahal will be relocated near the current Osmania Hospital.
When asked about the Wakf Bill, Reddy stated that the government is against it. He also mentioned that the government would allow the CBI to investigate cases based on their merits. Additionally, a decision on leasing the Outer Ring Road (ORR) will be made after the government receives a report from officials.
Reddy also reiterated that the farm loan waiver, as promised, has been implemented. The government has waived off loans for 22,37,349 farmer accounts, transferring a total of Rs 17,933 crore. He noted that some leaders from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) had also benefited from the waiver. For example, Gampa Goverdhan received a loan waiver of Rs 1.61 lakh. However, for loans exceeding Rs 2 lakh, farmers will need to pay the remaining amount before they can claim the waiver.
Finally, Reddy disclosed that the BRS government’s loan waiver between 2018 and 2023 benefited 23,61,899 accounts, with Rs 13,329 crore being transferred. He remarked that the current government is almost matching the BRS government’s efforts. There are still about eight to nine lakh accounts with loans exceeding Rs 2 lakh, and the government has set aside Rs 6,000 crore for this purpose. He emphasized that the government has already allocated Rs 31,000 crore in the budget for loan waivers—more than any previous government has done in a single attempt.
