Legal tangles to hamstring Atma Gaurva Bhavans in Telangana Premium
The Hindu
State government’s prestigious plan to construct Atma Gaurava Bhavans is headed towards a deep legal pothole as it would be in violation of the Constitution that disallows any government to give land or a building to any association or committee in the name of caste except for the SCs and STs, finds M Rajeev
Atma Gaurava Bhavans, a novel concept of the Telangana government for constructing buildings for all castes, aimed at their social, cultural and educational upliftment, are likely to take longer to complete. (‘Atma Gauravam’ translates to self-respect)
Of the 41 such bhavans taken up by the Backward Classes Welfare Department, buildings meant for Yadavs and Kuruma communities (both BC) are nearing completion. According to senior officials, the remaining 39 bhavans are either in the stage of finalising architectural designs or are inviting tenders.
The same is the case with Christian Bhavan, meant for Christian minorities, for which the foundation stone was laid on December 12 last year. The government allotted two acres in Uppal Bhagayat along with sanctioning ₹10 crore for the construction and, in fact, had even released ₹1.5 crore.
The construction work on the building is yet to commence, according to Telangana United Christians and Pastors Association general secretary Goneh Solomon Raj. He said the community had been allotted lands to construct buildings in seven of the 33 districts, of which the buildings in Siddipet and Gajwel are completed, and construction activity is going on in a few other places.
The concept of Atma Gaurava buildings is considered one-of-a-kind in the country. These centres, according to the officials, would aid in highlighting the talents of those belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities in social, cultural and educational fields. The Atma Gaurava Bhavans would be used for holding events and functions of these communities. However, legal experts and civil society groups have raised concerns about it.
While the government claims that it is working for the social and financial upliftment of the OBCs, the question that arises here is whether the initiative to provide each community with a Bhavan (building) of its own will be in line with the objective of the overall growth of the OBCs.
Moreover, the departments concerned have been asked to fund between ₹50 lakh and ₹10 crore for the construction costs of different bhavans. Given the financial constraints these departments face, with the revenue receipts not being up to expectations, they are set on a tightrope walk as far as allocating funds to these buildings is concerned.
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