Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Pl Punia has demanded the State Government to set up Schedule Caste (SC) Commission in Jharkhand too on the lines of other States.
Talking to mediapersons after holding a review meeting related to the welfare schemes being undertaken in the state, Punia also mentioned that the state needed to work on different policies and welfare schemes and connect SCs with them.
The meeting was also attended by Chief Secretary Rajiv Gauba and DGP DK Pandey along with several senior officials of different departments in the State Government.
According to Punia, SC Commission must be formed to improve economic and social conditions of scheduled caste population in the State.
“If there could be Commissions for women, STs and even for the minorities then why there cannot be a commission of SCs in the State,” questioned Punia. There is sizeable population of SC population in the State and hence it qualifies for having a SC commission, he added.
The Chairman further added that various issues related to SC population were discussed during the meeting. “There is a total of 12 per cent SC population in the State, but only 10 per cent of them are getting benefits of reservation here. The data should be increased,” he said.
He further added that the commission will suggest the state government to make a policy to fill up the seats reserved for SC students in colleges and universities which remain vacant every year and also to simplify the process of SC scholarship given by various educational institutions.
Punia also stressed on formulating a separate policy for the development of SCs along with the common man and ensuring construction of separate hostels for SC students in the state. “Various private educational institutions under the Education Act must also comply with the rules of leaving 25 per cent seats reserved for backward students and the government should take proper step in this direction,” Punia said.
Punia also alleged that adequate data were not made available to them by the state government for the review meeting. “Despite the fact that the earlier meeting was postponed due to unavailability of data, this time also they did not had proper data available with them related to manual scavenging, bonded labour and issuing of forged SC certificates etc,” said Punia.
“We have expressed our dissatisfaction with the state government in this regard and have provided a format to them directing them to keep it updating as and when required by the commission,” added Punia.
Punia further alleged that the state government has not conducted any meeting of State Vigilance and Minorities Committee, which is headed by the Chief Minister himself. “Despite the fact that at least two meetings should be held every year, there has been no meetings held since 2007 in this State,” said Punia. The state government has been asked not to be lacking in this regard, he said.
Coming heavily on the NDA Government over the suicide by dalit scholar Rohit Vemula at Hyderabad Central University, Punia said that instead of making discussions over the suicide, the government was engaged in proving him culprit in the case. “Is this sensitivityIJ” he asked.
Vemula had to commit suicide as he was under immense political pressure and also due to the harassment caused by the university administration, he said.