State Congress president Botsa Satyanarayana today appealed to the government to consider initiating a concrete move in the interest of backward classes and minorities.
The Andhra Pradesh Assembly yesterday passed the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan (Planning, Allocation and Utilisation of Financial Resources) Act, 2012, which accords legal status to the sub-plans in the wake of funds meant for SC, ST welfare not being utilised properly.
The PCC president alleged that all the opposition parties, especially the main opposition TDP and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), tried to scuttle the move to accord legal status to the SC/ST sub-plans.
He was referring to the opposition parties seeking a division of votes on the amendment to the Act seeking allocation by classifying SCs, a demand struck down by the Supreme Court earlier.
The proposed amendment, moved by TDP and supported by almost all opposition parties was, however, lost.
Congress has demonstrated its commitment to the welfare of the SCs and STs by giving legal status to the sub-plan for SCs and STs, the PCC president maintained.