K'taka Govt to name BC Commission Chairman by month-end

Bangalore, Feb 19 (UNI) The Karnataka Government will name the Chairman and members of the Commission for Backward Classes in the State within this month, Social Welfare Minister Balachandra Jarkiholi informed the Legislative Council today.

Replying to a question raised by BJP's Shobha Karandlage, he said the State Government would take the initiative to appoint the Chairman and five members for the Commission, which had remained vacant for the last one year.

Mr Jarkiholi informed that the Union Government had released Rs 20 crore to the Commission for surveying the socio-economic conditions of BCs in the State, besides an additional Rs seven crore by the State Government. However, the amount had been kept unspent.

The Commission would submit its report by December this year, he added.

Admitting that several hostels housing the BC and SC/ST students lacked basic facilities, he said the Government proposed to build 300 hostels at a cost of Rs 60 crore. His department needed Rs 860 crore to accommodate all the students in Government buildings and ensure all the facilities.

The Minister informed that eventhough the National Planning Commission had recommended spending 22 per cent of the budgetary provisions for the benefit of SC/ST communities in commensurate with their population, it was not being done in the State.

BJP's Aravinda Limbavalli and Mukyamantri Chandru, JD(S)' Srikante Gowda and Abdul Ajeem, and Independent member Narayanaswamy also spoke on the subject.

UNI