SC/ST funds, internal quotas: Congress leaders discuss damage control

Bengaluru: Congress’ Dalit ministers and lawmakers huddled on Thursday to discuss countering the BJP’s campaign on “misuse” of SC/ST funds and the delay in implementing internal reservation, which has caused jitters about a possible backlash from the community. 

Alarm bells are ringing within Congress after the BJP found support from Dalit organisations on Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan (SCSP-TSP) funds being used for general schemes. 

The “emergency” meeting took place at Social Welfare Minister Dr HC Mahadevappa’s residence. Senior ministers G Parameshwara, K H Muniyappa, R B Timmapur, lawmakers P M Narendraswamy, A R Krishnamurthy, Darshan Dhruvanarayan, K S Basavanthappa, Abbayya Prasad, Nayana Motamma, Sudham Das among others were present. 

It is said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is mindful of the stakes, has asked ministers to compile data to counter the BJP’s narrative and minimise any damage.

The concern, according to sources, is that members of the Dalit community are increasingly feeling “deceived” with the government utilising SCSP-TSP funds for the ‘guarantee’ schemes. 

At the meeting, the ministers and lawmakers are said to have discussed the need to tell SC/STs that it was the Congress government that enacted the SCSP-TSP law. Plus, the government is likely to compile data on how SCSP-TSP money has improved the lives of SC/STs.

The government may also amplify the charge that the previous BJP regime “diverted’ large sums of SCSP-TSP funds. Efforts will also be made to tell people that SCSP-TSP funds for the “guarantee” schemes are not being used for other communities. 

There is also immense pressure on the Congress government on internal
reservation.

The government has constituted a commission under retired Justice HN Nagamohan Das to finalise internal reservation. 

Congress’ Dalit leaders, at the meeting, discussed how the BJP is trying to pit the SC/STs against the government on the matter.

“The BJP government rejected the Justice A J Sadashiva Commission report and came up with its own methodology, based on the 2011 Census, to sub-classify Dalits. This wouldn’t have stood the test of law. That’s why a new commission was formed to collect empirical data. We need to tell people that they shouldn’t fall for the BJP’s politics,” a source aware of what was discussed in the meeting said. 

In a social media post, Parameshwara said the meeting discussed internal reservation and other demands of the SC/ST community as well as the impending zilla-taluk panchayat polls.