From: Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC <pmarc2008@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jan 28, 2010 at 3:46 PM
Subject: [PMARC] Dalits MediaWatch - News Update 28.01.10
To: Dalits Media Watch <PMARC@dgroups.org>
Dalits Media Watch
News Updates 28.01.10
33 held for burning temple car - Express Buzz
Untouchability is still practised in Swarnim Gujarat: Report - DNA
Rs 500 Crore! - Mid Day
http://www.mid-day.com/news/2010/jan/280110-rural-employment-scheme-NREGA-Panchayat-office.htm
'Disrespect' to Gandhiji, Ambedkar draws flak - The Hindu
http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/28/stories/2010012857160300.htm
State fails to implement M'rashtra model for Dalits - The Tribune
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100128/punjab.htm#3
Express Buzz
33 held for burning temple car
Last Updated : 28 Jan 2010 08:44:33 AM IST
SALEM: Thirty three people were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the Monday night's communal clash at Tholsampatti that led to the burning of a temple car in the village.
The police have also booked cases against 100 people belonging to Dalit community on the charge of burning the temple car.
The revenue magisterial inquiry by the Omalur Tahsildhar continues as the people from both the communities stick to their stand with regard to the claim for the temple land. Security has been stepped up in Tholasamptti to prevent any untoward incidents again. Meanwhile, the Dalits demanded compensation for the houses that were damaged in the violence.
DNA
Untouchability is still practised in Swarnim Gujarat: Report
Paras Jha / DNA
Thursday, January 28, 2010 8:51 IST
Ahmedabad: For Dalit communities in Gujarat and in the country, even after 60 years of India becoming a republic and 50 years of Gujarat becoming independent, nothing has changed much. A study conducted by Navsarjan and Robert F Kennedy Centre for Justice and Human Rights, revealed that nearly 98% untouchability is practiced by Non Dalits (ND) on Dalits for serving tea and more than 97% in matters such as touching articles of worship, during Katha, religious services by ND priests, temple entry etc.
The result of the study was released on Wednesday by Prof. Sukhdev Thorat, chairman, University Grants Commission at Gujarat Vidyapith, in presence of social scientist prof. Ghanshyam Shah, Gujarat Vidyapith, vice-chancellor prof. Sudarshan Iyengar, retired Justice of Rajasthan High Court, AP Ravani, Central University of Gujarat Vice-Chancellor prof.RK Kale, social activist Indukumar Jani, Dalit activist and founder of Navsarjan Martin Macwan and Navsarjan's executive director Manjula Pradeep.
Appreciating the study, the experts expressed the dire need for action to be taken to eradicate this 3000-year-old practice of untouchability and social discrimination. Prof. Thorat said, "This is a widespread study, so it can't be questioned and may be applicable to other areas of the state also. This study reflects the reality of Gujarat's social situation."
Indukumar Jani said, "This report has thrown light on the fact that our age old mentality has not yet changed. Caste system will only be eradicated if the citizens of the country are sensitised."
Sudarshan Iyengar said that, "though we are celebrating Swarnim Gujarat, looking at the facts revealed in the study is like spoiling good fish with an ill sauce. Social distances between Non-Dalits and Dalits had reduced when Mahatma Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar were alive, but after their death the situation has not been changed."
Mid Day
Rs 500 Crore!
http://www.mid-day.com/news/2010/jan/280110-rural-employment-scheme-NREGA-Panchayat-office.htm
By: Imran Gowhar
Date: 2010-01-28
MiD DAY investigation blows lid off fake job cards scam; Rs 10 crore rural employment scheme fraud is expected to exceed...
Officials of the Bangalore South Taluk Panchayat office have siphoned off over Rs 10 crore granted by the Centre under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA), the Lokayukta learnt after raids that followed a tip-off by MiD DAY.
The Lokayukta conducted the raids around the city on Tuesday, and now suspects the scam may exceed Rs 500 crore.
The raids revealed that instead of providing employment, taluk panchayat officials hired a few unemployed youths illegally to create a database of fake records to account for the money they allegedly siphoned off in connivance with executive officer Ashwath Reddy.
An investigation by MiD DAY had revealed the creation of fake records in the Bangalore South Taluk Panchayat Office in Banash-ankari.
The Bangalore Urban Zilla Panchayat released Rs 1,014 lakh to the Bangalore South Taluk Panchayat office between August and December 2009 for implementation of the scheme.
The idea was to provide 100 days' work to villagers who had applied for the job at a wage rate of Rs 82 per day.
he right way
The NREGA was introduced by the Congress-led UPA at the Centre and has often been cited as an achievement, though in reality it seems to have filled more babu pockets than hungry stomachs.
The relevant act stipulates that villagers belonging to SC/ST, and those below the poverty line have to apply for work under the scheme with the secretary of the gram panchayat concerned, and he in turn has to acknowledge the application, verify the details given about members of the family and get them registered.
He then has to allocate the work to be executed by them and issue notices to attend work at a specified place and for a given period.
The secretary has to enter the details of wages paid to them. Under no circumstances should the job card rest with the panchayat secretary or anybody but the labourer. The scheme also strictly prohibits work execution through contractors.
The scam
In all the 15 gram panchayats, local leaders and contractors in connivance with the gram panchayat secretaries allegedly created fake job cards to obtain grants.
The grants were allegedly got through executive officer Ashwath Reddy on a commission basis. In addition, many junior engineers and assistant executive engineers of south taluk allegedly got involved with contractors in creating estimates and fake job cards.
It has been found that Rs 1011 lakh has already been spent in six months. Fake job cards are now being hurriedly created to account for the money spent.
This card 'creation' work is on a war footing for five days in the Banashankari Taluk Pancha-yat office for Chunchanakuppe Grama Panchayat and K Gollahalli Grama Panchayat.
Fake job cards
Contractors and local political leaders would speak to the family head, and ask him about the members of his family.
If there were four members in a family, say a man, his wife, son and daughter, all of them would be treated as a separate family.
First, the name of the head of the family would be recorded in a job card and then six to seven fake names would be entered in it.
Then, in the second card, his wife's name would appear as head of the family, again followed by six to seven fake names to make up the rest of her family.
In the third card, the son's name would appear as head of the family, again followed by six to seven fake names.
In the fourth card, the daughter's name would appear as head of the family along with another six to seven fake names.
So, instead of one job card consisting of four members of the family, there would be four job cards together consisting of 24 to 28 names, and these would be projected as labourers availing of the scheme.
The money paid to these labourers who did not exist would be allegedly pocketed by the officials.
The Hindu
'Disrespect' to Gandhiji, Ambedkar draws flak
http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/28/stories/2010012857160300.htm
Correspondent
After receiving the memorandum, Mr. Mohan apologised to the members of the organisation for having hurt them, and assured them that action would be taken against all responsible after checking the minutes of the preliminary meeting.
The Tribune
State fails to implement M'rashtra model for Dalits
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100128/punjab.htm#3
Jangveer Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 27
Punjab may have the highest proportion of Dalits in the country (29 per cent) but the state's spending on them is abysmally low and attempts to increase funding to the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Castes Ministry are drawing a naught despite attempts to implement the model followed by Maharashtra in this regard.
The Maharashtra model advocates allocating funds in proportion to the population of SCs and BCs to the state's Welfare Department which then coordinates with other departments to make special programmes for these communities and release funds for the same.
Punjab has been toying with the idea of implementing the Maharashtra model for years with a Cabinet meeting in 2003 also giving its approval for the implementation of the model in the state. In March 2009 a joint team of the Welfare and Planning Departments also visited Maharashtra to study the model. The model, however, could not be implemented with the Planning Department maintaining at its meeting last year that due to the financial crunch it was not possible to take out 29 per cent of the total funds and transfer the same to the Welfare Department. Instead it recommended that in the first year the Welfare Department could be given 10 per cent of the total funds with the aim of increasing this figure every year until the 29 per cent target was achieved.
However, it seems a 10 per cent target is also a dream for the Welfare Department. Against an allocation of Rs 297 crore, the department has received only Rs 70 crore. Out of this Rs 70 crore figure as much as Rs 42 crore has been released to implement the Shagun scheme. Irregularities in the distribution of money under the Shagun scheme are already under the scanner with widespread irregularities having been detected in Faridkot district recently.
As much as 90 per cent of the schemes earmarked for SC and BC welfare are currently stalled. These include schemes that can give the cutting edge advantage to Dalit students and others where the state has to pay only a minor amount with the Centre already having released funds for the same.
State Welfare of SCs and BCs Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike said he had requested the Chief Minister to consider the implementation of the Maharashtra model in Punjab so that funds meant for marginalised communities were put to optimum use. He said a lot of time was wasted in the transfer of funds to the Welfare Department. "We have our own department for planning and can devise our own schemes depending on the priority". Notwithstanding the minister's demand, the state seems to be putting off a decision on the issue.
--
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")
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Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC.
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