BENGALURU: Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment A Narayanaswamy on Monday alleged that funds allotted to Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes have been diverted by the state government towards guarantee schemes, affecting the development of the state.
“Development works in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have come down. In Karnataka, Rs 11,000 crore set aside for SCP and TSP that is for the SC/ST community has been diverted,” he charged. Though it is legally allowed, Chief Minister Siddramaiah should answer whether it is ethically right, he said. He claimed that they have received over 6,000 complaints by Schedule Caste people on the injustice caused to them while sanctioning Bagair Hukum lands.
The minister conducted a review meeting on the status of implementation of centrally sponsored schemes in Monday at Vidhana Soudha. Speaking to reporters later, Narayanaswamy said he is going to write to the Union Commission for SCs for an inquiry. He alleged that the awareness meetings to hear the grievances of SC/ST communities at the district level are not being held though they are mandatory. He directed officials to conduct such meetings every month.
Minister not allowed to hold meeting
Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment A Narayanaswamy alleged that he received a notice from the chief secretary, urging him not to conduct the review meeting at Vidhana Soudha. “This is an attempt by the government to stop me from doing my duty. In my reply, I said as a union minister,
I have the right to hold the meeting,” he said.