हिंदी
(Pawan Tinu says even though Channi was a compromise candidate he should seize the opportunity and right all wrongs committed against SCs)
Chandigarh, September 20 2021
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today requested chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi to move quickly and register a criminal case against former Social Welfare minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot to safeguard the future of two lakh scheduled caste students of the State.
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Congratulating Mr Channi who took the oath of office here, SAD spokesman Pawan Kumar Tinu said even though Channi was not the automatic choice as a Dalit chief minister by the Congress high command and was a compromise candidate, he should seize this opportunity and right all the wrongs committed against scheduled castes, particularly Dalit students.
Mr Tinu said without wasting any time the new chief minister should order registration of a criminal case against Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and order his arrest in the SC Scholarship scam case. “The crimes committed by Dharamsot against the Dalit students are listed in the report submitted by former additional principal secretary to the government. The senior IAS officer, who was also the administrative head of the Social Welfare department at the time, has accused Dharamsot of embezzling funds to tune of Rs 65 crore besides several other irregularities to benefit chosen private institutes. It is a fact that Mr Channi has never spoken up in favour of the victimised Dalit students as a cabinet minister. However the time has come for him to redeem himself and prove as stated in his press conference today that he will end all mafias”.
The SAD leader also demanded that the new chief minister also order the immediate release of Rs 1,800 crore due to SC students under the scholarship scheme since the last three years. He said it was unfortunate that earlier central funds sent for the SC scholarship scheme were embezzled and misappropriated. “Even now when the scheme has become a partially funded one the State is not releasing its part of the scheme share to Dalit students”.
Telling Channni that time was of essence, Mr Tinu said “please don’t delay taking an immediate decision on this crucial issue”. Calling for immediate release of Rs 1,800 crore due to SC students, the SAD leader said this should be done in the next fortnight itself as the model code of conduct was expected to be announced in December. He said the new chief minister should take a cue from the Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh governments which had taken on the responsibility of the entire SC Scholarship scheme.
