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Mayawati: nothing new in Pratibha’s address

Special Correspondent

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Friday said the Centre should pay greater attention to implementing the schemes for the welfare of Dalits and other weaker sections of society.

Reacting to President Pratibha Patil’s address to Parliament, Ms. Mayawati said in a statement that there was nothing new in the programmes announced for Dalits and other weaker sections. The welfare programmes should be implemented without discrimination.

Schemes for SCs, STs

The UPA government was silent on the schemes it had announced for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and deprived sections. One such issue was giving reservation to SCs/STs in the private sector.

Ms. Mayawati said she had written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, seeking quota for SCs/STs in the private sector, judiciary and legislature.

Sachar panel

The Chief Minister wanted an action plan formulated for implementing the Sachar panel recommendations on the welfare of Muslims. She alleged that the loan waiver scheme benefited only rich farmers, who had taken loans from banks. She wanted steps taken for waiving the loans taken by Dalits.

Instead of 100-day employment, jobs for the whole year should be provided under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme.

The Chief Minister’s statement was released by Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh here.

Talking to journalists, Mr. Singh claimed that contrary to the Opposition propaganda on the law and order situation, there was a fall in the number of incidents of crime.

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