Mangaluru, June 22: Karnataka State Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes Commission chairperson Basanna K Chalavadi said that several problems faced by people belonging to SC/ST communities had come to his notice in Dakshina Kannada district and expressed surprise to find such problems even after grievance meetings were held on a regular basis in the district.
Speaking after hearing grievances at the grievance meeting held at the deputy commissioner’s office here on Monday, he said that it was unfortunate that the practice of charging donations and collecting extra fees from students belonging to SC/ST communities existed in the district and he would look into the matter.
He said that he would notify the deputy commissioner to determine how much of DC Manna land was available in the district and how much had been distributed to beneficiaries. He said that he would also take serious cognizance of the lack of facilities for students in SC/ST hostels and rectify the matter.
In the grievance meeting, several SC/ST community leaders and representatives expressed grievances on issues such as delay in construction of Ambedkar Bhavan, DC Manna land for depressed classes, denial of opportunities through fake caste certificates and collection of extra fees and donations from SC/ST students in privately-run colleges in the city.
A Dalit representative complained that extra fees and donations had been collected from several students by privately-run colleges during admissions although the norm called for providing education free of cost to SC/ST and other backward students.
Another representative Devdas said that the delay in construction of an Ambedkar Bhavan in the district should be seriously considered and urged that the foundation stone should be laid as soon as possible.
Dalit leader Shekhar from Belthangady taluk alleged that the police had filed a chargesheet against Vittal Malekudiya for alleged links with naxalites, although no proper evidence had been found in this regard. The police have included false evidence in the chargesheet and have falsely implicated an innocent person, he said, urging a thorough investigation in this regard and justice to the accused.
He also complained that Malekudiya families residing in a remote village in Charmadi ghats faced difficulty since the only road leading to their village was privately owned and they had to seek permission to travel on the road.
S P Anand pointed out the lack of accommodation and facilities for students SC/ST hostels in the district. He urged that SC/ST grievance meetings chaired by Deputy Commissioner should be held monthly.
Sadashiv from Bagalkote district, residing in Dakshina Kannada temporarily for his work, grieved that he had been falsely implicated by his neighbours and the police in an assault case pertaining to Kavoor police station limits without proper investigation, despite protesting his innocence.
Another representative urged the commission to issue a directive to hold SC/ST grievance meetings twice a year in each gram panchayat and once a month in each police station, to address the grievances of SC/ST communities.
Mr Chalavadi said that he would try to resolve all grievances in a constitutional manner and would not hesitate to take strict action when dereliction of duty was noted among officials. Show cause notices will be served to officials and action would be taken against them where SC/ST grants were found to be misused, he said, adding that around 2036 complaints related to land disputes, atrocities, misuse of SC/ST grants and fake caste certificates had been received by the state commission, out of which most were still pending.
A meeting was also held to review the progress of various schemes taken up with the SC/ST grants at the deputy commissioner’s office.
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