MANU/PIBU/0576/2017
Department/Board : Press Information Bureau
Date : 30.05.2017
New National Commission for Backward Classes to be constituted in the same manner as National Commissions for SCs and STs
The new National Commission for Backward Classes will be constituted under Article 338B and will commence functioning as a constitutional authority, in the same manner as the National Commission for Scheduled Castes under article 338 and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes under Article 338A. This was stated by Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment while interacting with media persons on the three year's achievements of his ministry here today. The new Commission will exercise the function of hearing the complaints/grievances of socially and educationally backward classes. It will have the powers of a Civil Court for this purpose. It will have the duty of advising of the socio economic development of the socially and educationally backward classes and evaluate the progress of their development, unlike the present Commission which does not have this role.
The Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri Ramdas Athawale, the Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Smt. G. Latha Krishna Rao and the Principal Director General (M&C), Press Information Bureau, Shri A.P. Frank Noronha and senior officers of M/o SJ&E were also present.
He informed the media persons that the objective of Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes is to promote entrepreneurship amongst the Scheduled Caste and to provide concessional finance to them. The projects/units are promoted in manufacturing and services sector ensuring asset creation. The Scheme provides higher level of loans ranging from Rs. 50 lakhs to Rs. 15 crores. Till date loans amounting to Rs. 242.36 crores were sanctioned to 65 Scheduled Cast entrepreneurs and Rs. 118.99 crores has been disbursed.
The Minister said that the Skill Training is under taken by the three corporations of the Ministry viz. National Scheduled Caste Finance and Development Corporations (NSFDC), National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation (NBCFDC) and National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC). During the last three years i.e. from 2014-15 to 2016-17, 2.5 lakh beneficiaries have been trained under the skill development programme of the Corporations and the Scheduled Castes Sub Plan. Out of these beneficiaries, 48.42% have got wage/self-employment.
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has released scholarships to 3.45 crore students through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) providing direct benefit to the students. Amount released is Rs. 18000 crores in the last 3 years.
He said that the five places relating to Dr. Ambedkar such as Janam Bhoomi, Mhow; Shiksha Bhoomi 10, King Henry Road, London; Deeksha Bhoomi, Nagpur; Chaitya Bhoomi, Mumbai; and Parinirvan Bhoomi, 26 Alipur Road, New Delhi were declared 'Panchtirth' by the Government of India. Besides this, the Dr. Ambedkar Foundation under Ministry of Social Justice a........