Education must reach the poor among all castes, says Siddaramaiah

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah emphasizes the importance of a socio-education survey for equitable development and welfare programs in Karnataka.

“We need a socio-education survey for the holistic development of the State, to ensure that the poor from every community get education and other benefits,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said in Belagavi on Sunday.

“Our objective is that no injustice is done to any caste group. We will strive to see that everyone gets justice. What we have before us is a socio-economic and educational survey. It has produced empirical data that is essential to take up welfare and development programmes for all communities. It answers questions like should the poor remain poor even after 75 years of the implementation of the Constitution? Should we suffer inequality or should we aim for an equal society? Should caste discrimination persist or should we take steps to ameliorate it?” he told reporters.

He was in Belagavi to inaugurate Kala Mandir cultural complex and to distribute agricultural implements to farmers.

“The efforts behind conducting and implementing a socio-educational survey of different classes of society is to see that government benefits reach the poor across religions and castes. Empowering all is our goal,” he said.

“The work of a government in a welfare state is to see that all the disadvantaged sections of society are benefited equally. It does not mean that only members of the Muslim community or backward classes get access to education or other schemes and programmes. It should not be understood in a narrow sense,” he said.

He said that the BJP leaders are making baseless allegations against the State government.

To a query on the statement by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok that he (Mr. Siddaramaiah) has stealthily kept the original copy of the Kantharaj Committee report away from the public, the Chief Minister said that it is false and baseless.