Hyderabad, July 4: The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has accepted recommendations of the BC Commission on providing four per cent reservations to ‘socially and educationally backward Muslims’ in education and employment. It proposes to soon bring an Ordinance to give effect to the decision. The reservations will come into force from the current academic year itself.

However, 10 sub-castes in the Muslim community have been put outside the ambit of the reservations. In other words, about 85 per cent of 80 lakh Muslims in the state stand to gain.

The state Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, ratified the recommendations on Wednesday. The BC Commission had submitted its report to the state Government on Tuesday.

Muslims will be considered as Group E in Backward Classes list, according to the draft Ordinance, which will be sent to the Governor for his consent.

Keeping in view the successive failures of the Government in 1968, 1982, 2004 and 2005 in extending reservations to Muslims, the state Government followed a ‘foolproof’ system by referring the matter to BC Commission. As courts have struck down the Government’s previous efforts that reservations cannot be extended to a section of people based on religion, the Government this time excluded some affluent sub-castes from the purview of the reservations, Information Minister A Ramnarayana Reddy told mediapersons.

Minority Welfare Minister Mohd Ali Shabbir, who was also present, defended the exemption of a few sub-castes. “Earlier, attempts to provide reservations to all Muslims boomeranged. Now, at least 85 per cent Muslims will get the benefit,” he said.

In so far as creamy layer from the community is concerned, guidelines already laid down by the Government are applicable.