Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma on Wednesday said the state government will soon propose two separate Bills to enhance the reservation for backward classes to 42 per cent, and introduce sub categorization of Scheduled Castes to correct the historical underrepresentation of the communities and ensure balanced distribution of reservation benefits.

Addressing the joint sitting of the state Assembly and Legislative Council the governor said that the state was “transforming” under the current government as BRS MLAs tried to disrupt his speech by raising slogans and jeering, buoyed by the presence of former chief minister and the Leader of the Opposition, K Chandrasekhar Rao who attended the House after almost a year.

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The governor who addressed the joint sitting of the bicameral House for the first time after taking over described the caste census as a “groundbreaking initiative” conducted with transparency, scientific methodology, and a rigorous verification process.

He said, “In a landmark move towards social justice, the Government of Telangana has proposed a Bill to provide legislative backing for 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) based on the findings of the recently conducted Survey. This proposal aims to correct historical underrepresentation by ensuring fair access to education, employment, and governance for BC community.”

He then added, “Additionally, the government is set to introduce a Bill for the subcategorization of Scheduled Castes (SCs) based on the recommendation of the Justice Shameem Akhter Commission. This proposed legislation aims to ensure a more just and balanced distribution of reservation benefits among SC communities, prioritizing the most marginalized sections.”

The governor also added that the government would bring back the system revenue officers dismantled by KCR while introducing the digital integrated land records system, Dharani. The digital records caused hassles to land owners due to errors creeping in but the absence of revenue officers had crippled the grievance redressal.

“In addition to land reforms, my government has drawn up plans to reinstate the Village Revenue system, restoring the role of revenue officers at the grassroots level. This move strengthens rural governance, simplifies land-related services, and ensures timely resolution of land issues, reinforcing Telangana’s commitment to accountable, inclusive, and citizen-centric governance,” said Varma.

The BRS MLAs protested when the governor touched upon the measures taken to benefit farmers, like completing crop loan waivers and disbursing Rythu Bharosa, or when the government claimed it had protected Telangana’s water rights.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao said, “This is not a governor’s address, it is like a press meet of Congress workers at Gandhi Bhavan.”

He alleged, “This government has no vision, only (want) commission. They only look for 20 percent commission.”

He claimed 480 farmers have died by suicide and crops were withering on the fields due to government’s lapses. The students’ wing of the BRS staged a protest in front of the Assembly demanding the appointment of an education minister. The protestors were detained and taken into custody.