'BJP against BCs coming to mainstream'

Criticising the State government for failing to implement programmes for the welfare of backward communities in the State, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Backward Classes Cell President M C Venugopal said the BJP does not favour the developmental programmes for backward classes as the party does not wish to see the backward communities getting educated and come to the mainstream.

Delivering inaugural address at the DK District Congress Committee Backward Classes workers’ meet in Mangalore on Friday, he said that several demands for the development of backward classes have not met by the government.

Raising one such demand, he said that the Cell has urged the government to cancel the income ceiling level for backward community category-1 that has been fixed at Rs one lakh and Rs 44,500 for category-2. The ceiling would be an obstacle to the backward class students who wish to pursue higher education.

“The Cell has placed one month’s deadline before the government to cancel the income ceiling and if the government fails to respond to the plea, the Cell will resort to fight,” he said.

Flaying the State government for not conducting the survey on social and educational status of the backward classes in the State, for which a fund of Rs two crore was released during the tenure of Siddharamaiah as Finance Minister, Venugopal said that despite the Supreme Court stressing on the need to conduct the social and educational status of backward communities, the State government has shown negligence, he said.

He placed forth several demands before the government including extension reservation to co-operative sector, fill backward community members to the vacant government backlog posts on the similar lines of posts given to SC and ST candidates, introducing reservation in Legislative Assembly, Council and Parliament on the lines of the local governance, reservation in private national and multi-national companies among others.

Meanwhile, he also criticised the State government for the inordinate delay in appointing Lokayukta. “The BJP government is apprehensive over its several ministers going behind the bars in misappropriation cases if the new Lokayukta takes charge. Hence, it is delaying the appointment process and is indirectly supporting corruption. The Backward Cell urges the government to appoint the Lokayukta at the earliest,” he said.

Former MP Vinay Kumar Sorake, former MLA Vijay Kumar Shetty, Mayor Gulzar Banu, MLA Abhayachandra Jain, DK Congress Committe Backward Cell President Dharanendra Kumar and others were present.