Latest News Update: Aug 7, 2010

Saturday, August 7, 2010

[ZESTCaste] To expand base, BJP pushes for Dalit sub-quota

http://www.hindustantimes.com/To-expand-base-BJP-pushes-for-Dalit-sub-quota/Article1-583268.aspx

To expand base, BJP pushes for Dalit sub-quota
Vikas Pathak, Hindustan Times

New Delhi, August 06, 2010First Published: 23:30 IST(6/8/2010)
Last Updated: 23:33 IST(6/8/2010)

In an attempt to widen its support base, the BJP has officially
decided to back Dalit sub-quota politics to divide the Dalit vote and
lay claim to the least developed sections of Dalits. BJP president
Nitin Gadkari wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday
demanding a constitutional amendment to enable the splitting of the
Scheduled Caste (SC) quota so as to make it possible for the Madiga
caste in Andhra to get the benefit of an SC sub-quota.

The Madigas have been agitating for an SC sub-quota — also recommended
by the Usha Mehra Commission two years back — on the ground that they
cannot compete with the more advanced Mala caste within a common SC
quota.

The letter has another political motive too.

The Madigas are concentrated in Telangana while the Malas are mainly
found in coastal Andhra, and the BJP sees a chance to further its
support base in Telangana to get a foothold in a state where the
Congress has been declining after the death of Y.S. Rajashekhara
Reddy.

The Chandrababu Naidu government had actually split the state's SC
quota, but the apex court struck this down saying that as per the
constitution SCs cannot be sub-divided.

"For ages there has been a feeling among the Madigas who constitute a
majority of the SCs in Andhra that they continue to be deprived of the
benefits of reservations simply because they are far less empowered
than other groups among the SCs," Gadkari wrote.

The BJP's plan to expand its support among more advanced Dalit castes
is not easy, as they sometimes view it as an upper caste party.

Rajnath Singh had tried to carve out SC sub-quota as Chief Minister in
UP to create a Jatav (BSP supporter)-non-Jatav divide, but this didn't
happen. The Congress, too, had introduced a sub-quota in Punjab in
the 1970s to consolidate its support among Mazhabi Sikhs.

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[ZESTCaste] After RSS' stand on caste census, BJP a divided house

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/rss-cracks-whip-bjp-rethink-over-caste-census-42603

After RSS' stand on caste census, BJP a divided house
NDTV Correspondent , Updated: August 07, 2010 09:24 IST

New Delhi: The BJP is dilly-dallying in its stand on the caste census
issue. After first saying yes, it now sounds ambiguous.

During the budget session of Parliament the party had said yes and now
by backtracking, it has compounded the confusion over the entire
matter.

On May 10, while the budget session was on in the Lok Sabha, Gopinath
Munde, Deputy Leader of the Opposition had said, "What's the harm of
the government... if the Prime Minister goes back on his word; he will
let the backwards down."

It is said that the reason behind this sudden thinking wave is the
RSS. The RSS is said to have cracked the whip on the party and said no
to caste census. Since then, the BJP is divided between the OBC
leaders and the rest who were worried that the caste census will raise
fresh caste aspirations.

The fear of a fragmented Hindu society and poorly evolved backward
leadership is why the BJP doesn't want to say yes. But after an-all
party meeting Pranab Mukherjee had asked the BJP to clarify its stand.
However, instead of clarity the party chose ambiguity.

Ananth Kumar, BJP General Secretary, says "The Congress is waiting.
The UPA is waiting. Why do they want the BJP to give its opinion and
then form their stand?"

But the UPA and the government are no better.

In the budget session Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh demanded a
caste census.

Facing the Opposition's cut motions the government gave in.

A Group of Ministers was set up. But the voices of dissent are still
alive. Some in the government are saying no to caste census,
halfheartedly, only to save the integrity of the census. But most of
the party men and allies are saying yes.

Digvijaya Singh, General Secretary, Congress, "Caste is a reality in
India which has been accepted by all political parties and also the
Indian Constitution."

Ramvilas Paswan, LJP President, "We want that the decision should be
taken fast."

Lalu Yadav, RJD President "Whatever needs to be done should be done fast."

It appears that consensus is necessary. But with the big two of Indian
politics taking an ambiguous stand, chances of a quick consensus on
caste census have receded.

Story first published: August 07, 2010 08:12 IST

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[ZESTCaste] Rs 149.50 cr for dalits' welfare

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubli/Rs-14950-cr-for-dalits-welfare/articleshow/6267151.cms

Rs 149.50 cr for dalits' welfare
TNN, Aug 6, 2010, 10.50pm IST

HAVERI: Karnataka State Ambedkar Development Corporation (KSADC)
chairman A R Krishnamurthy said that the government has allotted Rs
145.90 crore for the upliftment of SC/ST families.

After convening a review meeting, he told reporters that corporation
aims at taking up various development and welfare schemes for dalits.
Haveri district will get Rs 45 lakh.

KSADC has plans to sanction Rs 1-lakh loan each SC/ST beneficiary to
drill borewells and for irrigation pumpsets, for which Rs 86,000 is
the subsidy from the government. In Haveri, corporation has provided
690 power connections to beneficiaries of irrigation pumpsets. As many
as 519 connections would be given in the next six months.

Self-help scheme has become popular among the dalits and the
corporation has provided Rs 13.95 lakh to 110 beneficiaries under the
scheme. Forty-nine beneficiaries have taken a direct loan of Rs 2.79
lakh this year while Rs 50,000 is given as loan to each member of nine
Bhangi families in Savanur, he added.

District KSADC officer Kavita Warnagal, ZP member Parameshappa
Megalamani were present.

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[ZESTCaste] Maya to make room for 61% green cover at memorial

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Maya-to-make-room-for-61--green-cover-at-memorial/657126/

Maya to make room for 61% green cover at memorial
Krishnadas Rajagopal
Posted online: 2010-08-07 00:33:20+05:30

New DelhiUttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati on Friday agreed to
break and remove 48,300 sq m of concrete pavement at Noida Park to
make room for about 61% green cover at the half-complete memorial site
for Dalit leaders.

But a Green Bench led by Chief Justice of India SH Kapadia on Friday
chose to drive the bargain a notch higher by quoting the latest
recommendation of its Central Empowered Committee (CEC) for 65% tree
cover.

"We are agreeable to anything. Let us end this matter instead of
dragging it on here. The Commonwealth Games is near, in October. The
half-finished construction has become an eyesore, and if not completed
soon will be cause for national shame," senior advocate and Mayawati's
counsel KK Venugopal replied to the court.

The Bench has now asked the government to consider 65% green cover,
excluding the surrounding boundary walls and remaining pavement, and
35% of concrete.

Any structural changes, however, can be made only after the Supreme
Court lifts a stay on construction ordered on October 9, 2009. The ban
came after the CEC reported that no prior environmental clearance was
taken for the Rs 650-crore project.

An August 5 UP government affidavit by Director (Horticulture), NOIDA,
B Prabhakar, says the state sees eye-to-eye with a "suggestion" from
the Supreme Court on July 30, 2010 to increase green plantation "to
60%".

"The UP government has re-planned the layout of the Noida Park and
will be breaking and removing the existing paved area to the extent of
48,300 sq m approximately and converting the same into a green area
with tree cover so that the total green area is about 61%," the
affidavit stated.

The government even names the species of the trees it intends to
plant. "We will have neem, lichi, mango... a large green canopy as per
UP Forest Department norms," Venugopal submitted.

In reply to a specific query from the Bench on the presence of water
bodies in the park, Venugopal pointed to the map to show 'concrete'
water tanks, complete with fountains, which would use treated water
instead of ground water. Asked if birds would flock to concrete water
tanks, Venugopal recounted from his own experience of keeping a "water
basin in his garden where the birds flock since morning". "What is
done is done. The trees are gone. His (Venugopal's) client says those
trees will be replaced," SC amicus curiae Harish Salve said.

But advocate Jayant Bhushan, representing the residents near the
memorial site, chose not to agree. "We want 100% green. Is it possible
for everyone to waste tax payers money on a construction and cut 6,000
trees, and then later replace it with 6,000 saplings which will take
another 30 years to grow," Bhushan argued.

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[ZESTCaste] Bill to hike SC/ST quota

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/national/bill-hike-scst-quota-363

Bill to hike SC/ST quota

August 7th, 2010
DC Correspondent Share Buzz up!Tags: Amendment Bill, Central education
institutions, Central law, more, reservation, Reservation in
Admission, SC and ST students Duffer's Guide Indian quota system
more
New Delhi, Aug. 6: The government on Friday introduced a bill that
will enable certain Central educational institutions to give
reservation to more SC and ST students than what is stipulated under a
Central law.

The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission)
Amendment Bill, 2010, also provides for giving additional time of
three years to Central and Centrally-aided educational institutions to
create infrastructure for implementing 27 per cent OBC quota. The
amendments are also being brought to safeguard the interests of the
tribal population of the Northeast.

The amendment will enable certain institutions like the Sikkim
University and Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, which had higher
quota structure for SC and ST students, to continue with their
previous regime. Difficulties were experienced by some of the CEIs,
particularly those in the Northeast inhabited by tribal population and
Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, which has been
reserving 50 per cent seats for SC and ST.

The amendment gives exemption to such institutions in tribal areas
from implementing 27 per cent quota for OBCs in admission as required
under the act. These universities, most of which are located in the
NE, will be able to continue with 15 per cent reservation for STs even
though the CEI (Reservation in Admission) Act stipulates 7.5 per cent
reservation for them.

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