A meeting of the BJD SC Cell convened by State Planning Board Deputy Chairman Bishnu Charan Das was held here. Party leaders and representatives from all districts took part in the discussion. The purpose was to discuss preparedness for a Mahasamabesa of Scheduled Cast community tentatively by the end of this month.
The representatives and the leaders of the SC community rued the lackadaisical attitude of the State administration towards the SCs. They pointed out that while Rs 150 crore was allotted to the growth of STs, the Government has drawn a blank so far as the SCs are concerned.
Some leaders further observed that there should be two separate departments instead of one, one each for the SCs and STs, so that the SCs will receive their due attention and justice.
All the leaders appealed to the CM to declare a package relating to the development of the SC community. An agenda on economic amelioration for SC community will be chalked out by a select committee under the leadership of former MLA Surendra Prasad Paramanik, it was decided.
Addressing the gathering, State Finance Minister Sashi Bhusana Behera said that the BJD Government under CM Naveen Patnaik is taking all possible measures for the development of the community and advised all the MLAs to establish rapport at the grassroots level so as to provide the bonanza of the Government at the doorstep of the beneficiaries.
Prominent among others who spoke were Minister for Handloom and Textiles Snehangini Chhuria, former Minister Padmanava Behera, Niali MLA Pramod Mallick, Binjharpur MLA Pramila Mallick, former Minister Jogendra Behera, Khalicoat MLA Purnachandra Sethi, Badasahi MLA Ganeswar Patra, Palloda MLA Mahesh Sahoo, Chhatrapur MLA Dr Priyanshu Pradhan, Kakatpur MLA Surendra Kumar Sethi, Anandapur MLA Mayadhara Jena, former MLA Soro Surendra Parmanik, former MLA Chhatrapur Adikanta Sethi and former MLA Dhamanagar Rajendra Das.