The Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Council on Tuesday passed the SC/ST Sub-Plan Bill.
However, the Council witnessed a repeat of sequences that were earlier seen during the passing of the bill in the Legislative Assembly on December 2. There, all the political parties had supported the bill, but the opposition insisted for some amendments, especially on spending the budget for Scheduled Castes as per categorisations.
In the Legislative Council, too, the proposed amendment was put to vote. Of 75 members present in the House, 45 voted against it, while 25 favoured it. Five members remained neutral on the issue.
Earlier, replying to a debate, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy said that the government would ensure the proper implementation of the bill. He also assured the Council that steps would be taken to carry the unutilised budget forward to the next year.
Responding to the demands for a Sub-Plan for minorities and backward classes, the Chief Minister said that they were under the "active consideration" of the government, and that a decision would be taken on them at an "appropriate time". He noted that it had taken almost 40 years for the SC/ST Sub-Plan to become a reality. (INN)