Stressing that economic policies of the Congress-led UPA government, with the motto of “faster and inclusive growth,” had benefited weaker sections of society, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said on Sunday that the budget had allocated more for Dalits under the Special Component Plan.
“The allocation of Rs.6,523 crore in 2005 was increased to Rs.22,959 in 2009,” he said while addressing a function organised by Thirukulam Sinthanaiyalar Maiyam to celebrate the 119th birth anniversary of B. R. Ambedkar.
Mr. Chidambaram said the government polices also benefited students among the weaker sections. “As many as 16 lakh students had received Rs.25,000 crore as education loan till the end of March 2009. The figures for 2010 are yet to arrive. Around 25 lakh students would have benefited and the loan amount touched Rs.40,000 crore.”
Besides education loan, the government was also providing scholarship to the Dalit students. “In 2009-08 the government distributed Rs.1000 crore as scholarship. The government meets the entire educational expenses of Dalit students who enter institutes of excellence such as IIT and IIM,” he said. Another Rs.2000 crore was given to Dalits students pursing MPhil and PhD under the Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship scheme. Mr. Chidambaram said education alone would help the disadvantaged sections to overcome all hurdles. The Right to Education law enacted recently would go a long way in benefitting society.
IAS officer Christudoss Gandhi said there was a need for a special institute to suggest constructive proposals for Special Component Plan. “It should be on the lines of institutes founded by Dr. M.S. Swaminathan and Dr. Raja Chellaiah.”
Former IAS officer and founder of the Samuga Samathuva Padai (SSP) P. Sivagami said the benefits of the SCP would reach the Dalits only if they had land. “Though Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had said that he would retrieve Panchami lands for Dalits, no progress has been made in the last four years,” she alleged.
