The Government has named “Vinaya Samarasya Yojane” for eradicating untouchability in the State after two-year-old Dalit child Vinaya in Koppal district, Minister for Social Welfare and Backward Classes Kota Srinivas Poojari on Monday informed the Legislative Assembly.
In a reply to the debate on the budgetary demands of the department for the year 2022-23, he said the Dalit family from Miyapur village in Koppal district was fined ₹25,000 after their two-year-old child entered a temple.
Vinaya Samarasya Yojane was included in the State Budget for 2022-23 with an objective of completely eradicating untouchability in the State, the Minister said.
The child had entered the temple on September 4, 2021, when his family had taken him there to offer prayers for his birthday. The child ran inside the temple premises when his father was praying. Temple priests and locals took objection to this and imposed a fine on the family. After the incident came to light, members of the community that Chandru belongs to held protests and approached the police. A case was registered, he said.
Replying to query on vacancies in the department, Mr. Poojari said steps have been taken to fill 2,500 backlog posts. On members’ demand for payment of money for beneficiaries under the Ganga Kalyana scheme, he said the money would be credited to the accounts of beneficiaries to avoid the role of middlemen, he said.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah said that fund allocation for various schemes had been reduced and injustice had been done to backward and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes people. He demanded allocation of ₹42,000 crore instead of ₹28,000 crore in the Budget for 2022-23.
