The Hindu Business Line : `AP Govt committed to implementing quota for Muslims'

THE State Government is committed to implementing 5 per cent reservations for Muslims from next year after complying with the conditions set by the AP High Court, according to Mr Mohammed Fareeduddin, Minister for Minorities and Fisheries.

He was speaking here on Wednesday at a felicitation function organised by the city unit of the APCC Minorities cell. He said the High Court had stayed the implementation of the GO issued by the State Government earlier this year reserving 5 per cent for the community in jobs and seats in educational institutions.

The court had felt that the Backward Class Commission should have been apprised of the move and it should have been done through the commission.

The Minister said the Government would reconstitute the commission and implement the reservations for Muslims in the manner suggested by the court. "The community need have no reservations on the issue. It will be implemented from the next year," he said.

He urged the community leaders to focus on literacy, as the literacy rate among the Muslims in the State was far below the State average. The literacy rate among Muslims in the State was only 18 per cent and among Muslim women, it was only three per cent.

Mr Fareeduddin observed the Muslims, the solid vote bank of the Congress in the past, had come back into the party fold in good strength. They were angry with the party after the Babri mosque incident but their anger had resulted in the power going into the hands of those who had demolished the mosque.

It had taken nine long years for the Muslims in the State to realise this mistake and they had once again extended full support to the Congress in the recent elections. "We will redeem the faith reposed in us by the community and we will implement the 5 per cent reservations,'' he said.

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