Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that his government may extend reservation benefits to the poor among upper castes in the state. The State government is planning to provide reservations to the poor among upper castes. It would soon take up a survey based on which it will decide on the benefits that it should extend to the economically backward among the upper castes, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said in the Mahanadu held at Tirupati.

“If there are economically backward people among the upper castes, we may extend reservation benefits to them. We will conduct a survey and find out,” Naidu said.

“We will extend reservation benefits to the Kapu community, too. A commission has been constituted to make the suggestions and recommendations. Even for Brahmins, the government is providing financial assistance and skill training for self-employment. There are poor people among the well-to-do castes and upper castes. We have to determine their economic status and give them benefits too, if necessary, we have to rededicate ourselves to the welfare of the people, who have put a lot of confidence in us and brought us to power,’’ Naidu said.

“We are providing benefits worth Rs 1,000 crore to the Kapu community. We have constituted a commission to get Kapus included in the backward classes list and extend reservation benefit,” Naidu said.

"We have no money. We have a lot of problems, but still we are doing everything for the uplift of the poor," he said.

"We aligned with BJP only to overcome the troubles caused by the bifurcation (of the state). We still have to get complete support from the Centre. I have taken up these issues with the government bigwigs in New Delhi 18-19 times so far," Naidu pointed out.

By Premji