andhra-mulls-100-pc-job-quota-for-tribals

The Andhra Pradesh government will explore ways to provide 100 per cent reservation in government jobs to locals in tribal areas of the state.

 

The assurance was given by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu during a review meeting with officials of the Tribal Welfare Department in Vijayawada.

 

“We are committed to delivering justice to tribal communities and restoring what was unfairly taken away from them,” Naidu said. He was referring to a Government Order (GO) issued in 2000, during the tenure of the united Andhra Pradesh when his Telugu Desam Party was in power.

 

It provided that all teaching posts in schools located in the notified Scheduled Areas of the state would be filled exclusively by local Scheduled Tribe candidates.

 

However, the GO was subsequently struck down by the Supreme Court. Providing 100 per cent reservation to tribals in local jobs was among Naidu’s election promises last year.

 

The first attempt to provide full reservation for local tribals was made in 1986, when the then TDP government issued a GO reserving all teaching positions for members of local tribal communities.

 

“Following some legal complications, a modified GO was issued in 2000, which helped tribal youth secure 4,626 teaching jobs in remote regions. However, further legal challenges led to the Supreme Court striking it down in 2020, citing constitutional concerns,” the Chief Minister said.

 

“Unfortunately, the previous government (headed by the YSR Congress Party) delayed abnormally in filing a review petition, resulting in the apex court dismissing the appeal. Consequently, the tribals lost the benefit,” Naidu added.

 

The Chief Minister has directed officials to study various options, in consultation with legal and constitutional experts as well as tribal welfare organisations, to revive reservation benefits for locals in tribal areas.

 

He also emphasised that any new framework must withstand legal scrutiny and be built on solid constitutional foundations. “We are not going to leave any opportunity unexplored. Tribal communities must regain what they lost due to legal lapses and political indifference,” Naidu said.

 

Beyond job reservations, Naidu reiterated his broader vision for tribal welfare, which includes enhancing access to education and healthcare in notified tribal regions, implementing special development schemes, and improving their overall living standards.