SC/ST Sub Plan Bill: CPM, YSRC Take Credit

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday claimed that it was due to its efforts that the Congress government had introduced the SC-ST Sub-Plan Bill in the state Legislative Assembly.

Talking to reporters at the Assembly media point, CPI (M) MLA J Ranga Reddy said that his party's state secretary B V Raghuvulu had conducted a "Deeksha" demanding stronger laws for the effective utilisation of funds meant for the welfare of SCs and STs in the state. He said that it was due to the CPI (M)'s efforts that the government had introduced the bill in the Assembly.

However, Ranga Reddy demanded that the special session of the Legislative Assembly be extended by two more days to facilitate a detailed debate on the bill. He also stressed upon the urgency to discuss other problems being faced by the people, including the energy crisis and cyclone Nilam, in the House.

Meanwhile, the YSR Congress on Friday claimed that the concept of an SC-ST Sub-Plan was originally conceived by former Chief Minister late Dr. Y S Rajasekharara Reddy.

Talking to reporters at the Assembly's media point, YSRCP deputy floor leader D Shobha Nagi Reddy said that it was YSR who had constituted a nodal agency to ensure the proper implementation of welfare schemes meant for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. She said that the SC-ST Sub-Plan would have been a reality two years ago if YSR were alive.

Regarding the bill which was introduced in the Assembly on Friday, Shobha Nagi Reddy said that the YSRCP was against implementing it for only 10 years. She said that the government must ensure that the bill gets implemented on a permanent basis. Failure to do so will expose the Congress government's lack of seriousness on the issue, she said.

However, the YSRCP leader alleged that the Sub-Plan Bill was aimed at diverting attention from "Operation Aakarshana" launched by the YSRCP, in which several leaders belonging to the Congress, TDP and other parties are joining the YSRCP. She said that the exodus from other parties to the YSR Congress would continue despite all attempts to stop it. (INN)