Telnagana reservation : Other Castes (OC) groups demand 20% quota; plan 'Simha Garjana

HYDERABAD: At a time when BC organisations are demanding constitutional protection to enhance the 42% BC quota in local bodies, employment, and education, Other Castes (OC) Joint Action Committee (JAC) has demanded 20% reservations.

The JAC also stated that the current Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) reservations should be extended to all welfare schemes implemented by the Centre and state. They propose that a national commission be set up to oversee the implementation of EWS reservations across the country, similar to the National BC Commission with constitutional guarantee.To press their demands, various OC organisations are planning a public meeting, 'OC Simha Garjana', with 1,00,000 people in Hanumakonda in Jan, 2026.

Before that, the JAC plans to meet with chief minister A Revanth Reddy, other ministers, and some central ministers next month to discuss their demands. The OC JAC has representation from various organisations such as Reddy JAC, Arya Vysya, Velama, Brahmin, Marwadi associations, and other caste representatives. "Some Backward Classes (BC) leaders are talking about scrapping the 10% EWS reservations given by the Centre seven years ago.

But those who are downtrodden and economically weak are getting reservations, and that too only in education and employment. Other castes, including BCs, have been getting quotas without any such restrictions," Bussa Srinivas, vice-president of JAC and Arya Vysya Federation leader, told TOI.He said if BC leaders like Teenamar Mallanna talk about scrapping EWS, they would also go to the Supreme Court against the enhanced 42% BC reservations. "BC reservations have been implemented for several decades, and the EWS quota came just seven years ago. Youth belonging to OCs are suffering from this discrimination," Srinivas said.