Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi(SM)
Udupi, Sep 23: A meeting of the Udupi Congress backward classes was held here on Saturday September 22 at the Congress Bhavan to involve maximum number of people from backward classes and minority communities into the party fold.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress committee backward class cell president M C Venugopal, addressed the party members.
He said that Congress always believes in “Sarvarigu Samapalu” and it is necessary to bring people from the backward class and minority communities to the Congress. “We need to keep them in the party by providing them the power”, he said.
The party should give political space to people from minority communities and backward classes and allow them to grow, he added.
Venugopal said that the KPCC’s backward classes cell would prevail upon the State government to remove the income ceiling for meeting the education expenses of people from backward classes that arise under List 1 and List 2.
While Rs 1 lac was the ceiling for those under List 1, Rs 1.2 lac was the ceiling for those coming under List 2. This will lead to the development of backward classes, he said.
Former MP Vinay Kumar Sorake suggested functioning like Devaraj Urs and following his political steps to improve the backward class.
"Urs' workon land reforms is unforgettable; the present leaders of the Congress have to work like Devraj Urs, Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi," he urged.
District Congress president Gopal Bhandary, former minister Vasanth Salian, secretary Keshav S Kotian attended the meeting.
Press Meet
A press meet was called by Karnataka Pradesh Congress committee backward classes cell president M C Venugopal on Saturday September 22.
He said the state is governed by BJP and there is deliberate delay in appointing the Lokayukta. "Although there is no formality in the appointing process, the BJP is afraid to appoint Lokayukta because all the leaders in the government are corrupt and they want to finish the tenure without any hassles," he said.
"The state government under BJP should provide a detailed report on the budget amount reserved for the backward class and the money used for their development. Reservation is required for the backward class in the Lok Sabha and Parliament; to make them feel that they are equal in the society," he added.
He further said that for a community to grow as a whole it is important that it represented in the state and central governments. To enable this, reservation should be given, he added.
"Backward classes should be provided with maximum schemes and the government should strive to bring them into mainstream society," he added.
"As per the backward class clause BJP government insists on a Rs 1 lac income limitation, which is detrimental to the development of the society, so there should not be any income limit for the backward classes. The existing rules should be revoked," Venugopal said.
"As per clause II, backward classes have income limitation up to Rs 1.20 lac, but BJP has lowered it to Rs 44,500, while Congress now proposed that there should be complete waiver in the limitation and students should be provided free education,"
KPCC and OBC unit organized the district-level meeting.