GULBARGA: The Dalit Sangharsha Samiti (Ambedkar Wada) on Friday urged the State Government to increase allocation for the development of Scheduled Castes in the 2007-08 budget based on the present population of Scheduled Castes in the State and to appoint a separate directorate to monitor expenditure by different departments under the Special Component Plan (SCP).

State organising convener of DSS Shivayogi R. Kollur addressing a press conference here said at present the State Government was deducting 18 per cent of the funds allocated to different departments in the budget to take up development projects under the SCP for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. He said the percentage of deduction for the SCP from the budgetary allocation should be increased to match the population growth of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the State.

He said last year Rs. 1,064 crore was polled under the SCP after deducting budgetary allocation of all departments, and of this, Rs. 435 crore was provided for welfare projects for Scheduled Castes in the State. In all, Rs. 95 crore was provided to the Scheduled Caste and Tribe Development corporation.

Mr. Kollur urged Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who holds the Finance portfolio, to take steps to increase the percentage of deduction under the SCP to ensure that funds go up to Rs. 2,000 crores.

Expressing his dissatisfaction over the indifferent attitude of the Government towards the Karnataka State SC and ST unemployed engineering graduates who were on an indefinite fast in Bangalore since February 19 demanding filling up of backlog vacancies in government departments, Mr. Kollur said three of the fasting graduates had been shifted to the government hospital.

He accused Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy of failing to implement his promise to unemployed engineering graduates belonging to the SC and ST communities in July last year during a visit to Gulbarga. Mr. Kollur warned that if the government failed to take up recruitment of backlog vacancies within 15 days, the DSS would launch a State-wide agitation.

He said the DSS would organise dharnas and protest meets on March 7 throughout the State .

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