Paswans, STs get Mahadalit status in Bihar

PATNA: All scheduled tribes and members of the Paswan or Dusadh community belonging to scheduled castes would now get the status and benefits given to Mahadalits in Bihar.
This was announced by CM Nitish Kumar at a function organised by the Dalit Sena, a wing of Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP, to celebrate the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar in Patna on Saturday.

The CM said the Bihar Mahadalit Vikas Mission (BMVM) schemes would henceforth cover all the communities categorised as SC and ST.

Only Dusadhs of the 22 communities categorised as SC in Bihar were excluded from the Mahadalit category which was created by the Nitish government in August 2007 to ensure development of the most poor among dalits. The STs were so far not entitled to the benefits of BMVM schemes.

LJP chief Paswan has been demanding Mahadalit status to Dusadhs for long. In February 2015, then CM Jitan Ram Manjhi had convened a special cabinet meeting to approve Mahadalit status to Dusadhs. The decision was later annulled.

Nitish on Saturday also said his government would construct a ‘community shed’ in every dalit tola across the state. The community shed to cost Rs 23 lakh each will have a community hall, a kitchen and other facilities.

Nitish also announced hike in uniform allowance for village chowkidar and dafadar. The chowkidars will now get Rs 7,000 instead of Rs 3,000 per annum, while dafadars will get Rs 8,000 instead of Rs 3,000 per annum.

Nitish recalled the RJD-led government allocated Rs 32 crore in 2005-06 for scholarship to SCs and STs, but his government has increased this amount to Rs 428 crore in 2018-19. “The budget of SC-ST welfare department was just Rs 40.38 crore in 2005-06, which has been increased to Rs 1,550 crore in 2018-19,” he said.

The CM also reiterated that his government would not compromise with anyone on the issue of corruption, crime and communalism. “The rule of law will continue to prevail in Bihar as long as I am the CM,” he said at the function which was also attended by deputy CM and BJP senior Sushil Kumar Modi.