Date:21/07/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/07/21/stories/2005072117750300.htm

New Delhi

Dalit MLAs meet Sonia, lash out against their own Govt.

Sujay Mehdudia

`Sheila regime has failed to implement poll promises made to the community'

NEW DELHI: Congress legislators from Delhi belonging to the Scheduled Castes met the party president, Sonia Gandhi, on Wednesday and complained about the Sheila Dikshit Government's "indifferent attitude" towards the community and its failure to implement the poll promises as well as resolutions passed by the State Assembly on important matters including constitution of an SC/ST Commission for Delhi.

Led by the Assembly Speaker, Chaudhary Prem Singh, a group of ten SC legislators, with the exception of the Food and Supplies Minister, Raj Kumar Chauhan, told the Congress president that the Delhi Government had failed to resolve their problems despite repeated reminders. Some of the MLAs even questioned Mr. Chauhan's claim to being a Dalit leader and wanted a change in the community's representation in the Delhi Cabinet. It is learnt that Mr. Prem Singh was the first to lash out at Mr. Chauhan followed by the other MLAs including Brahm Pal, Jai Kishen and Amrish Gautam.

They alleged that the Government had failed to spend the funds meant for the welfare of those living in Harijan bastis, indicating lack of seriousness on the part of the Delhi Government for this community. The legislators also complained that despite repeated promises the Delhi Government had failed to constitute a SC/ST Commission for Delhi. Both Vir Singh Dhingan and Charan Singh Kandera said the Delhi Assembly had also passed a resolution for constitution of a Safai Karamchari Commission but nothing had been done to fulfil the promise made to their community. They also pointed out that despite repeated representations to the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, about discrimination in posting, appointment and transfer of SC officers, nothing concrete had been done.

On the issue of delimitation, the SC MLAs said they had not been consulted by the committee constituted by the Delhi Government to represent the viewpoint of the party and the government on the issue. So far as re-adjustment of the SC Assembly constituencies was concerned, the MLAs said they had no objection to it. Their only fear was that the number of constituencies should not be decreased and no drastic changes should be made in the pattern of the constituencies. Ms. Gandhi is understood to have given a patient hearing to the MLAs and promised to look into their grievances. She is also understood to have directed the AICC general secretary in-charge Delhi, Ashok Gehlot, to look into the complaints of these MLAs.

As a follow up to the meeting, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president, Ram Babu Sharma, has convened a meeting of all these MLAs to discuss the issue of delimitation. Apart from Mr. Sharma, others likely to be present at the meeting include, Mr. Gehlot, the Union Minister for State Science and Technology, Kapil Sibal, and political secretary to the Congress president, Ahmed Patel.