State govt failed to use OBC grants: Bajwa
Friday, 15/11/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20131115/punjab.htm#6
Chandigarh : Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa today said the SAD-BJP government in the state had failed to protect the rights of people falling under the OBC category and most of the grants sent by the UPA government for their welfare had remained unused or had been used for some other purpose.
Addressing a meeting of the OBC cell at the Congress Bhawan here, Bajwa said he would take up all demands raised by leaders of the OBC cell with the concerned ministry at the Centre. He said he would take up the case for removal of condition of income for issuing OBC certificate. Dr Gurinder Pal Singh Billa, chairman of the OBC cell, presented a charter of demands to Bajwa.
Bajwa said the benefits given by the Centre to SCs and OBCs were not passed on by the state government led by Parkash Singh Badal. Talking about the shagun scheme for SCs, Christians, backward classes and other economically weaker sections, he said allocation under the scheme in the last two years was Rs 214.27 crore. Out of this, Rs 144.83 crore was released and Rs 136.79 was disbursed. As many as 78,866 applications under the scheme were pending with the state government.
Bajwa said the Parliament had passed the Children’s' Free and Compulsory Right to Education Act in 2009 and the Punjab Government had issued a notification in this regard in November 2010, but had failed to implement it even three years later.
Shamsher Singh Dullo, former PPCC president, said SCs and OBCs were the Congress’ backbone and they must get due representation in the party.
