Dalit party opposes reservation for Arunthathiyars

Madurai, Mar 15 (UNI) The Puthiya Tamilagam (PT), a major Dalit party in the state, today strongly opposed the exclusive reservation for the Arunthathiyar community among the Scheduled Castes (SCs), claiming that it would be detrimental to the rights of the SCs and would not help that community also.

Talking to newspersons here, party founder President Dr K Krishnasamy said Sakkiliyars, sanitary workers, Vettiyans and the three sub-sects of Arunthathiyar community were still very backward in the state.

Stating that the reservation for Arunthathiyars was against the Constitution, he said even the SC and ST Commission of India had refused to accept it.

He urged the Tamil Nadu government to come forward to implement comprehensive welfare measures for them and utilize Rs 200 crore fund allocated by the Centre, under the Safai Karamchari Rehabilitation Scheme (SKRS), for their rehabilitation.

Charging that many states in the country were not utilizing the fund allocated by the Centre under the SKRS, he said the Centre had offered to allocate even more funds if the states seek rehabilitation of SCs.

If the government filled the backlog of vacancies meant for the SCs, all the community among the SCs would be benefited, he added.

UNI GSM DS KK AS1909