Bangalore: Brushing aside Karnataka Chief
Minister B S Yeddyurappa`s protestations, National Commission
for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Chairman Buta Singh on Saturday stuck to
his charge that the state government had failed to utilise
central grants meant for welfare of SCs.
"I did not manufacture the facts. The facts were
provided by Karnataka government," Singh told reporters here,
responding to Yedyurappa`s criticism of his remarks on funds
utilization as "politically motivated".
Singh had made the comments after reviewing the
progress in the implementation of schemes for the welfare of
SCs in Karnataka at a meeting here on Wednesday.
"The statistics were provided by none other than the
chief secretary, home secretary and social welfare minister
who was sitting next to me at the meeting," Singh said.
Hitting back at Singh, Yeddyurappa had said he had
expressed views without knowing facts and his remarks
politically motivated.
"Though I am a politician, as chairman of this
Commission, I am not indulging in any party-based politics but
only pointing to real situation faced by Scheduled Castes in
Karnataka," Singh said on the sidelines of his meeting with
the SC/ST employees` associations of both public and private
sectors here.
Taking another swipe at the Yeddyurappa government, he
said "The fact that of nearly 7,000 cases of atrocities
against SCs reported in Karnataka, conviction has happened
only in three per cent of the cases shows how efficiently
government is functioning.
"If at all the chief minister has to criticise, he has
to criticise his own government."
Singh alleged that Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh were
the two states where two persons had got elected to the
Assembly by producing a false caste certificate.
"However, I have nothing against Yeddyurappa. He is a
very capable person who can manage the government without a
majority," he said, sarcastically.
On reservation for promotion of SCs/STs in all cadres
in banks, Singh said he would soon meet the CMDs of RBI,
Canara Bank and State Bank of India in this regard and take up
the matter with them.
He charged that recruitment rules in banks were
changed every now and then "without taking the suggestions" of
the Commission which is mandatory.
"I will bring this to the notice of the (bank)
officials when I meet them," Singh said.
Earlier, he assured various employees` associations
which submitted their representations that these would be
taken up in all seriousness.
PTI
