Three Years On, Kamareddy Promises Remain Unfulfilled – Backward Classes Betrayed

 Three Years On, Kamareddy Promises Remain Unfulfilled – Backward Classes Betrayed

T. Chiranjeevulu IAS(Ret), Founder President BCIF(BC Intellectuals Forum)

(What happened to the 21 promises made to the BCs? Is this the Congress brand of keeping promises?)

On 10 November 2023, the Congress party announced 21 major promises to the Backward Classes (BCs) at Kamareddy. Today, three years have been completed. It made numerous pledges on the upliftment of BCs, economic empowerment, educational development, employment opportunities and political representation. Trusting those promises, the BC community lent its political support to bring the Congress party to power.

Ahead of the Telangana Assembly elections, the BC Declaration announced by the Congress party at Kamareddy was released by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Let us take a look at how it has been implemented.

I.  Grand Promises – Zero Action

Of the 21 promises, only the formation of the Munnuru Kapu Corporation and the caste census have been implemented, and that only partially. The remaining 19 promises have not been implemented at all. Not a single promise has been fully kept. What greater discrimination against the BCs can there be than this?

No.	Kamareddy Declaration Promise	Current Status of Implementation
1	Caste census and increase in BC reservations within six months	Caste census conducted at the demand of BC associations; reservations not increased – partial implementation
2	42% reservations in local bodies; sub-categorisation	42% not delivered. The government passed a bill in the Assembly and washed its hands of it; there is no sincere fight against the Centre. An invalid GO was issued to mislead the BCs, and the court blocked it – not implemented
3	42% reservation in government civil contracts	Not implemented – a GO that would cost not a paisa, yet there is no will even to issue one
4	Statutory backing for the Phule BC Sub-Plan	Not implemented
5	₹20,000 crore every year; ₹1 lakh crore in five years	Not implemented
6	Separate Ministry for MBCs (Most Backward Classes)	Not implemented
7	Corporations for all BC castes; ₹10 lakh loans	Corporations formed for 5 new castes, but loan facility is zero – not implemented
8	BC Unity Bhavans at ₹50 crore each in district centres	Not implemented
9	A BC Gurukul in every mandal; a degree college in every district	Not implemented
10	Full fee reimbursement for eligible BC students	Not implemented
11	Occupational bazaars with 50 shops in every mandal	Not implemented
12	Pension age for traditional-occupation workers lowered to 50 years	Not implemented
13	Elections for BC associations; ₹10 lakh for each association	Not implemented
14	Inclusion of Mudiraj, Mutrasi and Tenugollu in BC-A	Not implemented
15	Telangana Fisheries Development Board	Not implemented
16	Second phase of sheep distribution to Yadavas and Kurumas within 100 days of coming to power	Not implemented
17	Palm groves, subsidies and liquor-shop reservations for Goud communities	Not implemented
18	Munnuru Kapu Corporation; subsidised loans for young entrepreneurs	Partial implementation
19	Mega powerloom clusters for Padmashalis	Not implemented
20	Toolkits with 90% subsidy for Vishwakarmas	Not implemented
21	Laundromats for Rajakas; modernisation of dhobi ghats	Not implemented

 

II.  The Core Promise of the BC Declaration – The Financial Pledge

₹20,000 crore for BCs every year, ₹1 lakh crore over five years – this has proved to be an empty promise.

Why has a government that spends 90 percent of the State budget been unable to spend even 25 percent of the funds allocated to BCs? Is this how little BCs matter to it?

After the Congress government came to power, a look at the budget allocations and actual expenditure of the last three financial years shows a huge gap between the promise made in the Declaration and the government’s performance.

1.  Three Years of BC Budget Allocations

At the promised ₹20,000 crore a year, ₹60,000 crore should have been allocated over three years. Allocations have been limited to ₹33,116 crore.

Financial Year	Allocation for BCs
2024–25	₹9,200 crore
2025–26	₹11,405 crore
2026–27	₹12,511 crore
Total	₹33,116 crore

 

In other words, over three years the government has allocated ₹26,884 crore less than the promised amount. Expenditure over the last two years has been only ₹5,140 crore.

2.  Allocations Are One Thing, Actual Spending Another!

Announcing allocations in the budget is not development in itself. The funds must be released and must actually benefit BCs through schemes.

According to the expenditure figures provided:

Financial Year	Allocation	Actual Expenditure
2024–25	₹9,200 crore	₹2,285.93 crore
2025–26	₹11,405 crore	₹2,857.32 crore
Total	₹20,605 crore	₹5,143.25 crore

 

·       Of the ₹20,605 crore allocated in these two years, only ₹5,143.25 crore was spent.

·       That is only about 24.96 percent.

·       The remaining ₹15,461.75 crore was not spent.

The 2026–27 financial year is still under way, so its final expenditure figures are yet to come. Spending this year too is likely to be about the same.

Another important point: this BC budget also includes allocations relating to EBCs (Economically Backward Classes), accounting for 10 percent of it. (Source: Budget books)

3.  Compared with the State Budget, the Neglect of BCs Is Even Clearer

This is where the real question arises.

Financial Year	State Budget	State Expenditure
2024–25	₹2.91 lakh crore	₹2.66 lakh crore
2025–26	₹3.04 lakh crore	₹2.81 lakh crore
Total	₹5.95 lakh crore	₹5.47 lakh crore

 

The State government has spent about 91.93 percent of its total budget.

Why, then, did the same government spend only 24.96 percent of the budget allocated to BCs? A government able to spend funds on other departments — why could it not fully utilise the funds earmarked for BC welfare? The government must answer these questions.

4.  What Has Happened to the Development of the Backward Castes?

The most backward castes among the BCs — the MBCs, nomadic tribes, denotified tribes and small occupation-based castes — face severe economic and social backwardness.

They need a special action plan, special financial assistance and employment opportunities for their development.

Although caste-wise corporations have been set up, the details of the funds allocated to them in the budget, and their release and expenditure, are given in the table below.

F.Y. 2025–26 (amounts in ₹ crore)

Sl. No.	Corporation	Allocation	Released	Spent
1	BC Finance Corporation	657.00	289.07	0
2	MBC Corporation	400	100	0
3	Rajaka Corporation	50	12.50	0
4	Nayi Brahmin Corporation	50	12.50	0
5	Toddy Tappers (Geeta Karmika) Corporation	68	34	17
6	Vaddera Corporation	50	12.50	0
7	Sagara (Uppara) Corporation	50	12.50	0
8	Valmiki–Boya Corporation	50	12.50	0
9	Krishna Balija–Pusala Corporation	50	12.50	0
10	Batraja Corporation	50	12.50	0
11	Kummari Corporation	50	12.50	0
12	Medari Corporation	50	12.50	0
13	Vishwabrahmin Corporation	50	12.50	0
14	Mudiraj Corporation	50	12.50	0
15	Yadava Corporation	50	12.50	0
16	Kurma Corporation	50	12.50	0
17	Munnuru Kapu Corporation	50	12.50	0
18	Padmashali Corporation	50	12.50	0
19	Perika Corporation	50	12.50	0
20	Lingayat Corporation	50	12.50	0
21	Mera Corporation	50	12.50	0
22	Gangaputra Corporation	50	12.50	0
23	EBC Corporation	50	12.50	0
	Total	2125.00	707.07	17.00

 

Other Financial Allocations

Scheme	Allocation (₹ crore)	Released (₹ crore)	Spent (₹ crore)
Rajiv Yuva Vikasam	1,800	0	0

 

The previous year too, these same allocations were made to the BC corporations/federations, with zero spending. The previous B.R.S. government showed the same neglect, and paid a fitting price for it. In the 12 years since Telangana was formed, rulers from the dominant castes have been suppressing BCs in every sphere.

5.  The BC Community Must Hold the Government to Account!

Should BCs not progress economically? Must they live only on government subsidies? Is this the attitude of dominant-caste governments? In a State where BCs are more than 56 percent of the population, how can BC development be possible if adequate funds are not spent on their economic advancement?

Irrigation projects worth lakhs of crores, Musi development, Metro Rail, Future City, construction of Young India school buildings — are you short of money only when it comes to giving to BCs? So the BC community asks. The Kamareddy BC Declaration must not remain merely a document of promises made at election time. This pledge was a promise of political, economic and social justice to the BC community.

III.  42% Reservations in Local Bodies, Education and Jobs – A Deceitful Stance

State government negligence, Union government indifference!

The Congress government promised in the Kamareddy BC Declaration to implement 42 percent reservations, yet even three years after taking office it has failed to fulfil that promise. Citing legal problems posed by the 50 percent reservation ceiling, and at the demand of BC associations, the State government sent the relevant bills to the Centre for inclusion in the Ninth Schedule and then washed its hands of the matter. There is no evidence that it pressed the Centre for their approval.

Is a one-day dharna at Jantar Mantar in Delhi enough? Has the Chief Minister met the Prime Minister and discussed this issue? Has he not taken an all-party delegation to Delhi? Rahul Gandhi, who at every turn declares that he will break the 50% ceiling — has he raised this matter in Parliament? Why is the Congress leadership, which announced that it would break the 50 percent reservation limit, showing no initiative in implementing the promise made to Telangana’s BCs? Is this not a deceitful stance? Did they not know, when they made the promise, that there would be legal problems?

Caught between State government negligence and Union government indifference, the future of BC unemployed youth is in question. That is why incidents of BC youth suicides are recurring of late.

IV.  Grave Injustice in Politics and Nominated Posts Too

Over the last three years of Congress rule, BCs have suffered serious neglect politically. They have been given only nominal representation in nominated posts and corporation chairmanships.

The number of BCs in the Assembly is already very low. This government has not even had the sense to give nominated MLC seats to the most backward communities. The legislatures are entirely dominated by the dominant castes. Recently, both MLC posts were again allotted to the dominant castes, and even in the Cabinet BCs have been limited to just two. The government is not even paying attention to the strong BC movement under way in Telangana. This amounts to wounding the self-respect of the BCs. BCs must be given a share not only in development and welfare but also in power, in proportion to their population.

V.  Time for the Congress Government to Introspect

A government that came to power with the votes of BCs and has failed to implement the promises made to them has committed a grave error. If promises are made for political convenience and forgotten once in power, the BC community will not stay silent.

That BCs still have to take to the streets for their rights after three years of rule is not their failure; it is a situation created by the government itself. In a democracy, BCs are not mere voters; they are rightful claimants to a fair share of power. Governments must recognise this reality. If they ignore the promises made, they will have to face the people’s wrath. We urge you to remember where the people seated the B.R.S. government, which earlier worked against the BCs.

BC people must remember just one thing: under the rule of these dominant castes, we will not get