Amaravati, Dec 18 (IANS): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said the state government turned backward classes (BCs) into backbone classes, with the empowerment of weaker sections socially, economically and politically.

He said a movement like this was not taken up anywhere else in the country as he spoke at the BC Sankranti Sabha, which saw hundreds of community leaders converge at one place on Thursday.

All the directors and chairpersons of the newly created 56 BC corporations were sworn in on the occasion as Reddy said that Sankranti festival has set in early.

To all the newly sworn in leaders, he advised them that position is not power but responsibility, asking them to strive to uplift those people left out of welfare programmes.

"Setting up 56 BC corporations and appointing 728 BC leaders, from 139 castes in the posts of directors and chairmen is history which was initiated by only AP government," highlighted Reddy.

Out of the new appointees, the CM noted 29 chairmen and 336 directors were women.

Andhra Pradesh had made laws in implementing 50 per cent reservation for BC, SC, ST and minorities and women in all nominated posts and contracts.

The Chief Minister criticized the earlier Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government for allegedly betraying BCs and breaking their backs.