Telangana BC hearings end with AP MLA's Kalinga caste plea
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh MLA from Amadalavalasa constituency, Kuna Ravi Kumar, requested the Telangana Backward Classes Commission to include the Kalinga caste in the BC community. The Commission conducted a public hearing on its final day regarding the inclusion of 26 castes omitted from the Telangana BC caste list after the formation of the Telangana state. The hearing was attended by BC Commission Chairman G Niranjan and Members Rapolu Jayaprakash, Bala Lakshmi Rangu, Deputy Director U Srinivasa Rao, Special Officer G Satish Kumar, and Research Officer G Lakshminarayana. During the hearing, the Commission examined 64 representations.
Overall, the Commission examined 133 representations over the three-day hearing. Representatives from the Pondara, Settibalija, Koppulavelama, Polnativelama, and Kalinga castes appeared before the Commission and requested that their castes be included in the Telangana BC list. Kuna Ravi Kumar represented on behalf of the Kalinga caste. Conversely, representatives of various castes belonging to the Telangana BC 'A' group appealed to the Commission not to reinstate the 26 omitted castes.
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