On Monday, the Karnataka Dalit Sangharsha Samiti (Prof B Krishnappa bana) staged a protest in Mangaluru opposing the diversion of SCSP/TSP funds meant for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to implement guarantee schemes. The protest, held in front of Mini Vidhana Soudha, saw members beating ‘tamate’, singing revolutionary songs, and raising slogans against the government.
The protesters demanded the immediate withdrawal of the order to divert SCSP/TSP funds. They called for the establishment of a task force to monitor fund allocation and prevent misuse. The Samiti emphasized that SCSP/TSP funds should be used to provide free education from primary to higher levels for SC/ST students, financial assistance for housing construction, and land allocation for the poor and landless in the community.
They also demanded an increase in the number of beneficiaries for the self-employment scheme of the Dr. BR Ambedkar Corporation and urged that the deputy commissioner be empowered to finalize the list of beneficiaries in each district.
State convener M Devadas accused the Siddaramaiah government of diverting crores of rupees from SCSP/TSP funds for guarantee schemes, calling it a conspiracy against Dalits. District convener Raghu K Ekkar criticized the Congress government for doing injustice to the Dalit community and highlighted that the lives of one crore SC/ST people in the state remain challenging due to the misallocation of funds by successive governments, including the BJP and JD(S).