MLA Basavaraj Rayareddy urges release of social, economic census report
Koppal: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should get cabinet approval for the Social and Economic Census report this week and implement it by November 1, demanded CM's economic advisor and MLA, Basavaraj Rayareddy.
Speaking near the Ginigera airport in Koppal taluk, Rayareddy said, “Unnecessary issues are being discussed in the state; they should come to an end. Karnataka is a land of social justice and culture, the very ground where Basaveshwara walked.”
Rayareddy mentioned that he had discussed developmental issues with CM Siddaramaiah and recalled the social, educational, and economic survey conducted by the state government between 2013-18, which covered all religions and castes. The survey, headed by Kantharaj, cost ₹165 crore but the report did not reach the then CM Siddaramaiah in time. Subsequent governments under Kumaraswamy and Bommai also did not release it, he said.
Jayaprakash Hegde, appointed to the Permanent Backward Classes Commission, submitted the report to the government on February 29, 2024. “Eight months have passed since the report was handed over, and the CM has expressed his thoughts on it. I have urged Siddaramaiah to release the report, as he cares about the welfare of the underprivileged. I demand that the cabinet approve and implement it from November 1,” Rayareddy emphasized.
He further stated that during a program in Sindhanur, he would urge the CM to announce the implementation of the report. Highlighting the need for updated data on the population of different castes in the state, Rayareddy argued that the current reservation of 50% can be increased to 75%. He noted that the report offers provisions to extend reservation to other marginalized sections and sub-categories if necessary.
Rayareddy called for the implementation of the report to ensure that it benefits the people and addresses social justice concerns in Karnataka.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Maha Dy Speaker, other tribal leaders jump onto Mantralaya net to oppose ST status to Dhangars
Mumbai, Oct 4: Tribal leaders, including Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal, protesting against the demand to include the Dhangar community in the Scheduled Tribe list, on Friday jumped from the third floor of Maharashtra state secretariat Mantralaya on the safety net just a floor below.
No injuries were reported in the incident that saw tense moments unfolding at the six-storey Mantralaya complex.
Zirwal, his fellow Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Kiran Lahamate and BJP tribal MP Hemant Savara were among those who jumped from the third floor onto the safety net installed on the second floor, a precaution taken in response to previous suicide attempts at the site.
The incident occurred around 12.40 pm, a police official said.
The protest, which involved two MLAs and an MP from the ruling Mahayuti alliance, highlighted escalating tensions over the government's handling of tribal issues.
After the police personnel removed these leaders from the net, these tribal representatives then gathered in the ground floor passage and began a sit-in claiming that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was not meeting them to discuss the quota issue.
Dhangar or shepherd community in the state is demanding ST category inclusion for the purpose of reservation. But Zirwal and other tribal leaders are protesting against this demand.
"I am an adivasi first and then an MLA and a deputy speaker," Zirwal told reporters when asked what led him to resort to such a protest.
"CM Shinde should meet the protesters," he added.
BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar said Zirwal holds a constitutional post and there is no need to take such an extreme step.
Zirwal said the state government should offer protection to students who have been protesting since a fortnight against the halt to recruitment under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) in Maharashtra.
Speaking in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar about the incident, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat said, "Zirwal is in the government and a responsible person...The protesters should have spoken to other leaders who are present there. The chief minister meets everyone after the cabinet meeting. Instead of doing such agitations, they should have spoken to the CM first. This kind of protest by Zirwal is unacceptable."
"Caste-related agitations are going on across the state. The CM and two deputy CMs do hold talks with those who wish to discuss issues," he said.
