By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 9: Alleging that the Scheduled Caste (SC) people in Assam were being neglected by the State Government, activists of the Anususit Jati Mahasabha today took out a protest rally in Guwahati. They later submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister through the Kamrup (metro) Deputy Commissioner. The memorandum stated that there were more than 70 lakh SC people in Assam but they had always been neglected, socially, economically and politically.

“The Assam Government received crores of rupees from the Central Government as fund to implement welfare schemes for the SC people between 2001 to March, 2012. But this fund has been misappropriated. There should be a CBI probe on this. We demand to know how much money was received by the State Government from the Central Government for the welfare of SC people from 2001 to March, 2012. What were the schemes taken up by the government and where were these schemes implemented? We want answers to all these questions,” said Anususit Jati Mahasabha president CK Bhagawati.

He further said, “Scheduled Caste development money has been misappropriated by some high-profile ministers of the State. The WPT and BC Department has always been under the charge of a non-SC minister since its formation. Though there are eight LACs in the State reserved for SC candidates, neither of the eight MLAs from these constituencies were appointed as the WPT and BC Minister after the recent Assembly polls. This is because the present Chief Minister of the State has always neglected the SC people as a whole.”

The Anususit Jati Mahasabha has demanded a separate secretariat for the uplift of the SC people of the State, a minister belonging to the SC community should be made cabinet minister, probe into all misappropriation of fund for welfare of SC people and filling up of backlog posts reserved for SC people which are lying vacant in various government departments.

Bhagwati added, “If our demands are not fulfilled, we will be compelled to go on fast at Jantar Mantar.”