Hyderabad: They enjoy Scheduled Caste status in Telangana State, but the moment they cross the border and enter Andhra Pradesh, they lose the SC tag.

As a result, their children and educated youth are being deprived of SC reservation benefits in educational institutions, government employment and other eligible sectors in Andhra Pradesh, which are otherwise applicable to them in TS.

From being wandering hunters to pursuing education and having Facebook accounts now, the Budaga Jangam community has come a long way.

However, it has been a case of fluctuating fortunes for the community that. The community is estimated to have a population of nearly 7 lakh, including 2.50 lakh in AP and the remaining in TS.

“Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had written to the then CM Kiran Kumar Reddy to grant SC status to the community. Mr Naidu had also assured the community of SC status if voted to power during poll campaign,” YSRC MLA from Kurnool, S.V. Mohan Reddy said.

MLAs from Rayalaseema have taken up the community’s cause and also raised the issue in the state Assembly recently, reminding the House about Mr Naidu’s assurance of granting SC status.

“In 1976, the Government of India gave SC status to the Budaga Jangam community in the entire AP. After bifurcation of the state, the community has the SC tag only in Telangana as per the AP Reorganisation Act,” AP social welfare minister Ravela Kishore Babu said. He added that as per the 2011 Census the population of the community in residuary AP was only 16,113. Mr Babu has said a one-man commission will look into the matter.