Assembly passes bills to set up commissions for SC, ST welfare

Amaravati: Chief minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Monday said that opposition members were behaving like buffoons in the assembly.
He said that Chandrababu Naidu did not deserve to be the opposition leader as he continued to speak lies despite losing elections.
Jagan lost his cool with opposition members raising slogans during the debate on the bill to create separate commissions for the SCs and the STs on Monday.“Naidu never had any respect for the SCs and STs. Naidu made derogatory comments against Dalits in the past and showing his disregard on the downtrodden communities even when the House is making a revolutionary Act,” said Jagan.
He said that while the national level commission for the SC, the STs was constituted in 1992 during the Congress regime, Naidu was making false claims that he set up the SC, ST commission. He said that Naidu had earlier insulted Dalits by saying that no one wants to be born in the Dalit community if they had a choice.
The chief minister said that Naidu could not rein in his cabinet minister who made humiliating comments against hygiene among the Dalits. He charged that the TDP government had discriminated against Dalits even in granting compensation in Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) in the capital city area.
He said that his government is taking utmost care for the uplift of Dalits and backward classes communities by providing reservations to them in all nominated posts in the state. He said that 60% of his cabinet members were from SC, ST, BC and minority communities.
Naidu, however, criticized the chief minister for attributing certain comments which were not made by him. He said they have spared Rs.10000 crore for Dalit empowerment during their regime. He said that he had appointed the first SC, ST commission in the state in 2002.
Later, the assembly passed two bills that enable setting up of separate commissions for Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes. The Andhra Pradesh State Commission for Schedule Tribes bill was tabled by tribal welfare minister Pamula Pushpa Srivani.
She said that chief minister showed his commitment for the uplift of the STs by creating separate commission. Subsequently, Andhra Pradesh State Commission for Schedule Castes Bill was tabled by social welfare minister P Viswarup.
YSRC members V Kalavathi, K Bhagya Lakshmi, N Dhanalakhsmi , Golla Babu Rao, Meruga Nagarjuna thanked the chief minister for creating separate commissions for the SCs and the STs.