Congress govt. wants to turn Dalits beggars by diverting SCSP-TSP funds, says Karjol

BJP leader accuses Congress government of diverting funds meant for Dalits, calls for corrective action in current budget.

Unleashing a bitter attack against the Congress government in the State, BJP leader and Lok Sabha member from Chitradurga Govind Karjol has said that the Siddaramaiah government has hatched a conspiracy to turn Dalits beggars by diverting Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) funds to implement its guarantee schemes.

“Last year, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah allocated ₹39,900 crore for SCSP and TSP. However, he released only ₹20,000 crore. In the last two years, ₹25,000 crore reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has been diverted for other projects and programmes. It amounts to betrayal of Dalits by the Siddaramaiah government by stealing their money. To correct its misdeeds, the government must allocate ₹85,000 crore for SCSP and TSP in the current budget and fill the gaps,” Mr. Karjol said.

He spoke to media representatives in Kalaburagi before participating in his party’s protest on Wednesday against the diversion of SCSP and TSP funds to guarantee schemes.

Terming the Congress an anti-Dalit party, Mr. Karjol, who is a former Deputy Chief Minister, said that the Congress only pays lip service to the elfare of Dalits, though it has used the oppressed community as its vote bank for the 60 years of its rule.

“The Congress projects itself as a champion of Dalit development.  It behaves in such a way that it has obtained a contract to develop Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). Whom did it develop in its 60 years of rule? The Congress has not given an acre of agricultural land to Dalits. It has not built residential schools and hostels for Dalit students. It has not created any opportunity for Dalits to become self-employed and, thus, self-reliant,” he said.

Highlighting the negative sides of the Congress rule in the State, Mr. Karjol said that 3,400 farmers, 10 officers and 12 contractors committed suicides after Siddaramaiah assumed office as Chief Minister.

“Besides the suicides of farmers, officers and contractors because of corruption and maladministration, over 1,100 newborn babies and 730 new mothers have died in various government hospitals across the State after the Congress came to power. Over 50 women have been raped and murdered in the same period. The government is, however, busy facilitating sand loot from the beds of rivers and streams,” Mr. Karjol said.