More welfare schemes required for development: AICC SC dept

Hyderabad, Jan 17 (UNI) All India Congress Committee (AICC) Scheduled Castes Department Chairman Yogendra Makwana today underlined the need for more economic development schemes for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes (SCs).

Participating in the executive meeting of the SC department of the APCC here, he said even after 60 years of Independence, there was no expected change in the financial position of the SCs and the gap between the upper castes and the SCs was widening further.

He said though Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahulwalia, then Finance Secretary, had assured, during the tenure of former Prime Minister late P V Narasimha Rao, welfare schemes to reduce the gap between the upper castes and SCs, no such efforts were made in this direction.

Mr Makwana said the Congress was the only party in the country to look after the welfare of the SCSTs. He alleged that the leaders who were occupying big positions in the party after gaining SC support were not attending the conferences organised by the SC department.

He said BSP Chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati had now turned face towards the upper castes and forgotten the welfare of the SCs. The Bahujan Samaj Party had now become the Brahmin Samaj Party.

He called upon the party workers of the SC department not to vote for the leaders, including Ministers, MPs and MLAs who did not attend the conferences in future.

Lauding the Andhra Pradesh Government for taking up several welfare schemes to improve the economic conditions of SCs STs, he said the state Government had taken up irrigation projects, mainly minor irrigation projects, with a view to provide water for irrigation to dryland areas.

AICC Secretary K Jaya Kumar said the SCs were the base of the Congress party. He urged the party workers to create awareness among people about the developmental schemes initiated by the Centre and the state Government.

He urged the Andhra Pradesh government to take up more economic development schemes for Dalits.

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