About 500 Rajaka community members protested in Visakhapatnam, demanding inclusion in India’s Scheduled Castes list and fulfilment of promises made by the state government before elections.
The protest outside the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation office, near the Gandhi statue, was organised by the Andhra Pradesh Rajaka SC Sadhana Core Committee. Demonstrators urged Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s government to honour commitments made before the election.
The committee said Rajakas are listed as Scheduled Castes in 18 states and three Union Territories. Protesters called for a commission on their inclusion, a pension from age 50 and a law protecting the community until the issue is resolved.
Other demands include 250 units of free electricity, ownership rights over water tanks used in the community’s traditional occupation and an annual budget allocation of ₹250 crore to the Rajaka Federation for subsidised loans.
The committee also sought ₹50 crore for new dhobi ghats, repairs and protection of existing sites, dhobi posts in hospitals and the Police Department, and subsidised loans of up to ₹10 lakh for unemployed young people.
Core committee member K. Satyanarayana said about 500 people from Visakhapatnam district took part. He said the campaign began in May and the committee had held nine roundtable meetings across Andhra Pradesh, with further protests planned.