The Telangana government will request the Centre to bring an act in Parliament to accord reservations to backward classes (BCs) in legislatures, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said today (3 December).

Rao, according to an official release, claimed all the political parties wanted reservation for backward classes in legislatures and that his government will put this matter before the Centre as the state's demand.

"When Telangana was formed, a resolution to this effect was passed," Rao said and announced that on this issue an all-party delegates team would visit Delhi and put "pressure" on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Rao said a request would also be made to the Prime Minister to set up a separate Backward Class Welfare Ministry at the Centre and give reservations to the BCs in promotions.

The chief minister has requested the Legislative Assembly speaker to allocate a day-long deliberation on the measures, programmes to be taken up for the welfare and development of the BCs in the legislative session, it added.

Rao has decided that after the BC public representatives have discussions for three to four days, based on the recommendations, the matters will be discussed in the assembly to bring in the necessary Bills, it said.

Earlier, Rao held a meeting on BCs welfare here and said, "We are ready to implement measures for the development of BCs within the jurisdiction of the state. Let us implement reservations in the local bodies. We will provide reservations to the BCs in the lands allotted for the entrepreneurs by the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSIIC)".

"Every party representative wants development and welfare of the BCs. The government is not going to take any credit and let us tell the people it is a united effort of all the parties. This will send a positive message," he added. PTI