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Meira Kumar describes Rajasthan as `worst State'

Special Correspondent

`State extremely backward in social justice'

JAIPUR: The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Meira Kumar, on Tuesday described Rajasthan as the "worst State" in the country in the matter of Dalit atrocities. "Rajasthan, which is rich in culture and heritage, was extremely backward in social justice," she charged.

Welfare activities

Talking to newspersons after a visit to "Prayas", an NGO working with the physically challenged, Ms. Kumar said statistics with her department indicated that Rajasthan "topped" the list among the States in Dalit atrocities. "The progress in the social welfare activities in the State is not satisfactory."

Typical conditions

Disability problems were more in Rajasthan due to its typical geographical conditions, Ms. Kumar observed. Uniform education would be given to disabled as well as normal children under the Education for All campaign, she said. Her Ministry was considering amendments to the Disabled Persons (Protection of Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.

Ms. Kumar, who spoke at the Congress training camp going on at Padampura near here in the evening on "The Congress and the Dalit uplift", said the proposed increase in the reservation quota for the Scheduled Castes and Tribes was justifiable.

"The issue has been under consideration since 1992," she noted.

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