Fulfil commitment to SC/ST, Sonia Gandhi tells Uddhav Thackeray

Sonia Gandhi. File pic

In a recent development, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Uddhav Thackeray asking him to implement the Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) Common Minimum Programme (CMP), especially for the scheduled castes/scheduled tribes (SC/ST), in letter and spirit.

Uddhav Thackeray. File pic

In a two-leaf letter, sent on December 14, Gandhi said that she has been receiving suggestions (from the state Congress leaders) in connection with the policies and programmes for the welfare of the Dalits and Adivasis. "This is a very important commitment made in the Common Minimum Programme of the MVA alliance," she added.

The communication assumes significance in the wake of the talks that the Congress was losing ground and a speculation that the party might even lose the leadership of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

Sonia, the chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, wants budget allocation to the SC/ST communities in proportion to their share in the population. "Focus may be on the schemes that benefit SC/ST communities so that they become at par with the rest of the society. There should be legislative backing to utilise the funds allocated during the same financial year," she said, adding that the previous Congress governments in Karnataka and united Andhra Pradesh had enacted such a law.

Social reservation

Gandhi has asked to introduce social reservation in government contracts in order to stimulate entrepreneurship in the SC/ST communities. "This has been done earlier by the UPA government at the Centre and by the previous Congress-led government in Karnataka," said the UPA chief. The Congress president wants the Thackeray government to fill up backlog vacancies of the SC/ST communities rapidly and in a time-bound manner.

She has suggested that educational schemes like scholarships, hostel facilities and expansion of residential schools should be prioritised. "Education, technical training and skill development for SC/ST youth are crucial," she added.

Reflects resentment

The All India Congress' SC Cell is headed by Maharashtra Energy Minister Dr Nitin Raut, who had several run-ins with the other MVA partners Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) over a proposed electricity bill discount and free power policy.

The NCP has the Social Justice Department and it also holds the key to the state treasury by way of the finance department. Sources said that Congress senior KC Padvi, who heads the tribal welfare department, has a lot of grievances, which were discussed with the party high command. In fact, every other Congress minister has been cribbing about the dominating nature of the other MVA constituents, who have more MLAs than the grand old party.

Recently, with support from the NCP and Sena, the Congress won two MLC seats, including one in Nagpur division where it broke the Sangh Parivar's 58-year-old reign. The other victory came from the Pune division where the NCP is more dominant.

The win in eastern Vidarbha has boosted the confidence of the Congress, which bagged a good number of assembly seats there last year, defeating the BJP. Sources in the Congress added that their party would continue to take a tough stance, if need be, to prove its worth in the post-poll alliance. Congress general secretary, in-charge Maharashtra, HK Patil said he had met the leaders from SC/ST communities to discuss a number of issues. "The Congress president also had a discussion with the Maharashtra CM," he told a media conference in New Delhi. He said the Congress was committed to the development of SC/ST communities and Sonia had assured to provide adequate funds.

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