Telangana govt must issue permanent residence certificates to poor: Owaisi

Hyderabad, July 6 (IANS) AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday urged the Telangana government to immediately issue Permanent Residence Certificates (PRCs) for the poor, saying many lack documents and risk exclusion from the voter list during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

The Hyderabad MP wanted to know what is stopping the state government from issuing PRCs. He said that if the ruling party is not realising that the poor of Telangana lack documents, then it is totally cut off from reality.

Owaisi told the ruling Congress party not to come to people after the publication of the final voter list to 'console' them and then complain of a conspiracy. He said that if there is a conspiracy, they should find a solution to counter it, and the solution is PRCs.

The MP pointed out that the government of Karnataka is issuing PRCs and asked why, since Congress is in power in Karnataka too, they are not issuing them in Telangana.

The AIMIM chief said despite repeated demands, the Congress party is only conducting meetings. He was addressing a workshop for volunteer lawyers, who received guidance on how to help voters respond to notices received during SIR.

Owaisi said he had already raised this issue with Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.

He also revealed that he was seeking an appointment with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and remarked that the Chief Minister is very busy.

Stating that two BJP MPs from Telangana are ministers at the Centre, Owaisi asked why they cannot tell the Central government to accept PAN cards, driving licences and food security cards during SIR.

He said that those born in Telangana and whose names, or those of their parents and grandparents, appear in the 2002 voter list should be given PRCs.

He pointed out that, as per the Supreme Court order, if someone has studied in educational institutions in the state for four consecutive years, he becomes eligible for education and employment in the state, and asked why the government does not want to issue PRCs to such people.

He suggested that the government make Aadhaar, ration cards, school records and revenue records the basis for issuing PRCs.

Owaisi also criticised Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) for remaining silent on the SIR issue.