Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has vowed to fulfil his promise of 12 per cent reservations to the poor Muslims in the state and said the reservation policies of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will be taken as a model.

He reviewed the progress at the first meeting of the Commission of Inquiry on the socio-economic and educational status of Muslims in the state and directed the officials to undertake a deeper study of community’s condition through extensive survey, specially in the rural areas.

The meeting was also attended by the Hyderabad parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi on whose representation the government has also included an economist and former IAS officer Amirullah Khan. The committee headed by another retired IAS officer G, Sudhir has another member Abdul Bari.

Noting that Muslims constituted 12 per cent of Telanga population, KCR regretted that their condition, specially in rural areas, was so pathetic that many families earns less than Rs1,000 (dh57.4) as monthly income.

“Go to the rural areas and evaluate the living conditions of these Muslims and recommend how we can improve it”, KCR told the officials.

Replicating the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka model was significant because the total reservation for the weaker sections in the two states has crossed the limit of 50 per cent set by the Supreme Court.

He directed the Sudhir Committee to work on the lines of the Sachar Committee, the Amitabh Kundu Committee at the national level and Mahmoodurrahman Committee of Maharashtra to collect data regarding the condition of the minority community. The help of voluntary organisations and minority institutions can also be taken for the purpose, he said.

The chief minister also wanted the officials to hold a meeting in three to four assembly constituencies to cover the entire state. “After getting the report of the committee long-, medium- and short-term programmes will be implemented for the welfare and development of Muslim community,” he said.

Meanwhile the main opposition Congress party has demanded the state government to promulgate an ordinance to immediately extend the 12 per cent quota to Muslims and the scheduled Castes in the state.

Muslims in united Andhra Pradesh enjoyed 4 per cent reservations since 1995 but after a legal challenge the matter has been pending before the Supreme Court. However the court has not stayed the implementation of the quota in jobs and educational institutions for Muslims.