Voices were raised to extend the benefits of the various welfare schemes to the economically poor of Rajput community on the analogy of benefits being extended to SC/ST/OBC. In the meeting of State level Rajput Welfare Board held here today the representatives of the Board demanded that provision should be made in state housing schemes in the coming budget to bring the BPL families of the Rajput or Brahmin community or non-covered categories in the fold of welfare and housing schemes as there was no such schemes for the Rajput and Brahmins families.The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister, Shri Virbhadra Singh.The Chief Minister said that he agrees with the issues raised and will write a letter to Government of India (GoI) in this regard and if we don’t receive any response from GoI, the State government will implement some of the welfare and housing schemes for those families of the Rajput Community who were below poverty line.
He directed for fresh BPL survey as many cases had come to fore that the well to do families were listed in BPL list and actual poorest of poor were deprived of all facilities. The Chief Minister asked to take affidavit from those who at present were in BPL and monitoring be done by senior officers. It has been seen that well-off families were given weightage in allotment of houses and other benefits and actual BPL families and weaker sections of society were a suffering lot, he said.The Chief Minister assured to consider and look into the matter pertaining to loan facility to the meritorious students of BPL Rajput community for pursuing higher studies on less interest rate. It was also decided to consider the issue pertaining to difference in fee of educational institutions and various competitive exam fee for students of Rajput and general community in comparison to SC/ST/OBC.Demand was raised unanimously for OBC status to Rajput community on economic/ income status.
The Chief Minister directed to take complete information of those who were given a sum of Rs 50,000 for inter-caste marriage as there were many instance of misuse of incentives of intercaste marriage. Demand was raised for scrapping off the incentives of intercaste marriage on which the Chief Minister assured to examine the issue. It was also decided to look into the issue for constituting special commission for welfare of deprived Rajput community on the analogy of ST/ST commission. A serious view was taken by the members of the community to make amendments in present Atrocities Act or take the issue with GoI, as many instances were given of misuse of this Act. The Chief Minister assured to consider the issue.The Chief Minister said that a line must be drawn to put an end on sale of land by those who actually had taken land under the Land Tenancy Act and had sold it later and again they or their children had applied for the land on the pretext of becoming landless. It was also decided to make amendments in the Act, wherein a marginal or small farmer, who is unable to cultivate his agricultural land can give it to the tenants for tilling the same without any fear of change of title of ownership. It is often seen that the tenants tilling the land becomes the owner of the said land alongwith a passage of time. To avoid the same, the actual land owners were not giving their land for cultivation and the agricultural land was becoming barren.
Issue was also raised for providing benefits to poor and weaker sections of the community as being extended to the children of SC/ST/OBC for pursuing studies, besides construction of Maharana Pratap Bhawans in each district.The Chief Minister also directed to replace the worn-out statue of Maharana Pratap in Talwara in district Kangra and directed to hire the best sculptor for designing and building the statute of the legendary Rajput warrior.The Chief Minister, on demand for construction of Rajput Bhawans urged the members of the community to select the land for constructing the same and apply for the same so that their demands could be fulfilled. Directions were issued for recognition and preservation of Thoda game.The Chief Minister announced opening of Government Primary School at village Kira, in gram panchayat Bandla in district Chamba. He directed to construct road to Community Health Centre, Chonthra in Dharampur in Mandi district at the earliest.
On the request of the members, the Chief Minister directed to modify the Travelling Allowance claim form. Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Shri Sohan Lal, Chairman, Twenty Point Implementation and Monitoring Committee, Shri Ram Lal Thakur, MLA’s, Smt. Asha Kumari, Shri Balbir Verma and Shri Anirudh Singh, Vice Chairman, HIMUDA, Shri Yashwant Chhajta Chairman, Marketing Board, Shri Subhash Manglet, Advisor, APMC, Shri Devendar Shyam, Chief Secretary, Shri P. Mitra, representatives of the Rajput Kalyan Board and senior officers of the State Government were also present on the occasion amongst others.