Valmikis deserve ST status: Singireddy

Wanaparthy: Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy on Thursday assured the members of Valmiki community that their plea for inclusion in the ST list was being looked into by a committee, which was set up after he took the issue to the notice of CM KCR at a meeting held in Wanaparthy on October 7.

The community in TS is agitated that while they are treated as ST in AP, they are placed on BC list in Telangana. Around 4 lakh people are awaiting inclusion in the ST list.

The minister told a meeting of Valimikis that even the state government passed a resolution in the legislative assembly to increase the ST quota to 10 per cent and include Valmikis in the list, but there is no word from the center.

Former MP Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy observed the demand of Valmiki Boyas was just and they deserve inclusion in the list. He said Niranjan Reddy took special interest avoid the scarcity of food grains in Telangana, thus ensuring food security.

Wanaparthy constituency election co-ordinator Vangur Pramod Reddy, district president Gattu Yadav, Markfed Director Vijay Kumar and others attended the meeting.