Mangalore, Sep 7: A Dalit activist raised the issue of young unemployed girls being lured into prostitution by a fake employment centre at Ujire in Belthangady taluk under the pretext of providing them with suitable jobs, at the SC/ST monthly grievance meet held at the office of Superintendent of Police here on Sunday.
Speaking at the meeting, Shekhar L from Belthangady sought strict action against the persons behind the racket operating in the taluk.
He also raised the issue of illegal quarrying of red laterite stone in the taluk on land allotted to SC/ST community members by the government. Action should be taken against the ones engaged in illegal quarry on land belonging to Dalits by taking advantage of them, he said, urging that such illegal quarrying should be shut down.
No salary for Malekudiya home guards
Mr Shekhar complained that the monthly salaries of Malekudiyas who had been appointed as Home Guards under the Naxal package, had not been paid from two months and alleged that it was a strategy to cheat the Malekudiyas. The youth are made to work without being paid the salaries due to them for July and August. No efforts are also made to guarantee that the duration of their employment is extended, he said.
Responding to the complaint, Additional Superintendent of Police T P Shivakumar said that the deputy commissioner had sanctioned a grant of Rs 5 lakhs under the Naxal package which had been used, and the police department had requested the DC to sanction additional funds required.
While agreeing that the delay was causing problems for the appointed Malekudiyas, he said that the delay was caused by government procedure and the salaries would be provided within a week. He assured the activist that the police department would take up the issue of extension of employment of the concerned Malekudiyas and increasing their salary with the district administration.
Mr Shivakumar also said that the police department was trying to hasten the process of recruitment of personnel to tackle the shortage of personnel in various police stations in the district.
Students given ill-fitted uniforms'
Another Dalit activist Keshav alleged that the uniforms for students from SC/ST community staying in government-run hostels were stitched without taking measurements and resulted in the students wearing ill-fitted uniforms to schools.
DK social welfare officer Santhosh Kumar said that he would rectify the issue and take appropriate steps to avoid giving ill-fitting uniforms to Dalit students in hostels.
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