JALANDHAR: At the state-level function to mark birth anniversary of
B R Ambedkar on Saturday, Punjab chief minister
Amarinder Singh said that his government was committed to implement the 85th amendment to the Constitution for the benefit of the Dalit community. A state law to implement the amendment, meant to give seniority benefit to SC/ST in promotions in government jobs, was passed in 2006 but ran into legal trouble.
The CM also launched the
debt waiver scheme for economically weaker among the scheduled castes (SC) and backward classes (BC) in which loans up to Rs 50,000 each taken from the Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development and Finance Corporation (PSCLDFC) and Punjab Backward Classes Land Development and Finance Corporation (PBCLDFC), have been waived off. Some beneficiaries were also handed over the certificates of waiver.
Addressing the function, CM also expressed concern over the “dilution of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act”. Amarinder said he had implemented the 85th amendment during his previous tenure, by enacting the Punjab Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes (Reservation in Services) Act, 2006, providing for reservation in promotions in government jobs.
He lashed out at the Akalis for putting the legislation in cold storage during their regime, and claimed that he would ensure its implementation while fulfilling the directions of the Punjab and Haryana high court, which had struck down the provisions providing for accelerated reservations in promotions due to certain administrative shortcomings.
Asserting his government’s commitment to safeguarding the interests of the scheduled castes and backward classes, Amarinder assured that his government would take all necessary steps to restore the legal position in the matter.
