Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Electric crematoriums sought to eliminate discrimination

Staff Reporter

MADURAI : Dalit panchayat presidents want electric crematorium in every panchayat to eradicate the "existing" caste discrimination in burial grounds.

A two-day Dalit convention held at Madurai Kamaraj University in association with the Institute of Social Sciences last week passed a resolution to this effect. It urged the State Government to formulate a scheme to set up electric crematoriums in every panchayat to do away with caste discrimination "even in burial grounds."

State Government officials, especially those dealing with Panchayati Raj, should be sensitised to treat all elected panchayat members "equally without any caste prejudice," another resolution said.

The convention, in which presidents from various parts of the State participated, expressed the views that Tamil Nadu had to go a long way in implementing the 73rd Constitutional amendment in letter and spirit.

"The culture of local self-government as envisaged in the ... Constitution is uneven in the State and the Panchayat Raj reforms are not institutionalised. The worst victims are the Dalits who contest the constitutionally mandated Panchayat elections," a statement from the convention organising secretary, P. Periyakaruppan, said.

Roles and responsibilities were not handed over to the elected representatives of panchayats that led to non-functioning of local bodies. Hence, the State Government should ensure handing over the responsibilities to the respective panchayat presidents, the charter of demands said.

Dalit panchayat presidents should be given special training to understand their rights and responsibilities.

Section 205 of the Tamil Nadu Panchayat Act 1994 that empowered Collectors to remove panchayat presidents from office without enquiry should be repealed, "since the SC/ST members were the worst affected."

"Publish status paper"

The convention also demanded the Government to publish a status paper on the expenditure related to the Special Component Plan meant for Adi Dravidars and Tribal Sub-Plan.

The funds through the special component plan should be released through the panchayats and not the district administration.

Stating that the group-housing scheme for Dalits lacked healthy infrastructure, drinking water and toilet facility, the Government should raise the budget for every house to Rs. 2 lakh. Panchayats should be vested with the power of issuing community certificates, as the existing procedure for getting caste certificates for Dalits and tribals was complicated.

The convention also resolved to form Dalit Local Government Representative Association of Tamil Nadu to ensure implementation of all the demands.

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