MANGALORE: Senior police officials were caught on the wrong foot at a monthly meeting to hear and redress grievances of Dalits communities on issues pertaining to the department. Barring a few direct questions posed to them, policemen were left answering or parrying queries pertaining to various development schemes implemented by other departments.

Even the few questions pertaining to the department were a mere reiteration of the action taken on issues raised by Dalits at the last monthly meeting. The official of Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement cell, who looks into cases of atrocities against the Dalits too was left answering questions on systemic failures in implementation of development schemes meant for Dalits.

The digression from the meeting agenda started with a query by Bhanuchandra who asked B. Dayananda, Superintendent of Police, chairing the meeting why Dalits were asked to pay bills for Rajiv Gandhi Mission Drinking Water Pilot scheme.

He suggested that the same be paid by gram panchayats out of the 25 per cent funds reserved for welfare of Dalits.

Maintenance costs

T.J. Takat Rao, Chief Planning Officer of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, who attended the meeting on an invitation from Mr. Dayananda said maintenance costs of drinking water scheme executed by zilla panchayat will have to be borne by the beneficiaries.

There is no provision for gram panchayats to allocate a portion of 25 per cent funds to meet water bills incurred by Dalits.

Corporator Appi said Mangalore City Corporation bears the cost of water supplied to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes of the 18 per cent funds reserved for their welfare.

Somanath, former Zilla Panchayat president, said that the panchayat should adopt a resolution directing gram panchayats to bear the water bills of Dalits in villages out of the 25 per cent funds. Manjunath Annigeri, Superintendent of Police of CRE Cell, said it has come to his notice that funds allocated for welfare of Dalits is often diverted. Stating that a particular gram panchayat had used this 25 per cent fund to pay electricity dues, he said they justified it stating that this was incurred in providing water facility to Dalit families in villages.

Action sought

Such diversion of funds takes place due to ignorance of gram panchayat secretaries, taluk panchayat executive officers as they are responsible for its utilisation.

The cell has written a letter to the Department of Social Welfare urging them to take action in this regard, he said and added that it has also submitted reports to authorities whenever such diversion came to its notice. Lolaksha, President of Federation of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes Organisations, wanted such misrepresentation of facts by officials and diversion of funds treated as case of atrocities against Dalits.

Journalist Guruvappa Balepuni said a majority of special economic projects both in the State and Central sectors meant exclusively for the welfare of Dalits is being generalised by officials. Mr. Lolaksha also said the officials are using machinery to get works under Food-for-Work scheme implemented and depriving the Dalits of their livelihood. When the SP said no such work was taken up in the district as it was declared not drought-affected, Mr. Balepuni said Swarna Jayanthi Gram Swarozgar Yojana implemented by zilla panchayat was an example.

Probe assured

Mr. Dayananda while assuring the Dalits that their concerns will be brought to the notice of the Chief Executive Office of Zilla panchayat urged them not to raise non-departmental issues. He also promised that the CRE Cell will probe into cases of diversion of funds or misrepresentation of facts by officials on development schemes pertaining to Dalits in future.

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