The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Krishnasamy seeks separate budgets for SC-STs

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Sunday, Jan 07, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Krishnasamy seeks separate budgets for SC-STs

Special Correspondent

Says UPA Government must honour its promise

K. Krishnasamy

CHENNAI: Puthiya Thamizhagam president K. Krishnasamy has urged the Centre and the State Government to present separate annual budgets for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Talking to newspersons here on Saturday, Dr. Krishnasamy said the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government in its common minimum programme had agreed to allot 22.5 per cent of the total revenue in the Budget and 19 per cent in the State budgets for the welfare of SC-STs. Unfortunately, it had not been implemented.

Demanding that the UPA Government honour its promise, the party would organise an agitation before the Prime Minister's office this month.

A similar demonstration would be held before the Union Finance Minister's office in February.

He claimed that the UPA Government's failure to allot sufficient funds for the SC-STs had led to a backlog of 10 lakh reserved vacancies in Central departments.

On the Mullaperiyar issue, Dr. Krishnasamy said the impasse could be resolved only through talks. The root cause of all river water disputes was the reorganisation of States on the basis of language. If only they had adopted Nehru's formula of forming six zones, these problems would have been solved amicably. Despite the formation of linguistic states, people within the State were divided on the basis of caste and community.

Earlier, at a meeting of the district secretaries of the party it was decided to convene a State-level conference in connection with 10th anniversary celebrations of the party. It planned to enrol 50 lakh more members.

A resolution urging the Government to make reservation compulsory in private industries and in trade was adopted.

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