Amaravati, Feb 24 (PTI): The announcement of a new freebie scheme for women from economically-backward upper castes has triggered a fresh demand that the Andhra Pradesh government implement 10 per cent reservation for EBCs in jobs, in accordance with the Constitution 103rd Amendment Act.

The government however said Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy would respond "at an appropriate time."

The YSR Congress government on Tuesday approved another freebie scheme 'EBC Nestham' under which it would grant Rs 15,000 per annum each to economically-backward women among upper castes for three years.

The Chief Minister's Office put the number of beneficiaries at about six lakh, but the approved cabinet note listed it as 4,47,040.

The opposition parties, however, demanded that the Jagan government first implement the 10 per cent reservation for EBCs.

They pointed out that the neighbouring Telangana government was implementing the EBC reservation and asked what was stopping the Chief Minister from following the same.

"The new freebie scheme is only to hoodwink the people, particularly the women, as they clearly rejected the YSRC rule, as evident in the recent gram panchayat elections.

The government conveniently sidetracked the EBC reservation issue and hastily came out with another dole," Jana Sena Political Affairs Committee chairman Nadendla Manohar said.

If the Jagan regime was sincere about the uplift of EBCs, it should immediately implement the 10 per cent reservation brought in by the Narendra Modi government, Manohar demanded.

The BJP had for long been pressing for the implementation of EBC reservation.

"Jagan should take a cue from his Telangana counterpart and enforce the reservation forthwith," BJP state general secretary Vishnuvardhan Reddy said.

State Congress working president N Thulasi Reddy too raised a similar demand.

"EBC Nestham is fine, but what about the 10 per cent reservation? Does the Chief Minister not like EBC youth to benefit from the reservation and secure jobs," Thulasi Reddy asked.

Questioned about the opposition demand, Information and Public Relations Minister Perni Venkataramaiah said the Chief Minister would respond on the issue "at an appropriate time".

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)