BANGALORE: BJP leaders belonging to the backward Classes (BCs) are all set to prevail upon Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to carve an exclusive ministry for the welfare of the BCs.At present, the BCs are part of the Social Welfare Department, which looks after the welfare of the SC/ STs also. Logic and arithmetic seems to have worked to demand a separate ministry for the BCs, on the lines of the Minority Welfare. The BC leaders argue that the minorities, who constitute about 16 per cent of the total 6.11 crore population - roughly about 98 to 99 lakh - have a separate ministry and exclusive budgetary allocation.So, it is fair that the BCs, who constitute almost 65 per cent of the total population - about 3.50 crore - should have a separate minister with separate budgetary allocation.“It has been noticed that the social welfare minister as well as the officials are not in a position to concentrate and focus on the welfare of the BCs as too much time is taken away by the problems of the SC/STs. It is better to have a separate minister for BCs,” a top BJP leader told Express on the condition of anonymity.In fact, the Janata Dal government under J H Patel had a separate BC welfare minister - Malikayya Guttedar - with a separate department looked after by a secretary and a budgetary allocation of its own. But during the subsequent Congress regime, it was merged with the Social Welfare Department.In terms of budgetary allocation also, it looks prudent and practical for the BCs to have a separate ministry, says the BJP leaders who are pushing this idea.The total budgetary allocation for the entire social welfare department is about `3,500 crore, with `700 crore for STs and `700 crore for BCs, and the remaining `2,100 crore for the SCs, who constitute about 22 per cent of the total population. While the BCs who form around 65 per cent get `700 crore, the minorities who comprise around 16 per cent have got `366 crore this year. “This is blatantly unfair,” a top BJP leader remarked and added, “We would like the imbalance to be corrected.” If Yeddyurappa is forced to have a separate minister for BCs, then he will have to merge the two existing ministries as the strength of the ministry cannot go beyond 34, including the chief minister.In that event, Yeddyurappa might think of merging the departments of sericulture and horticulture headed by a principal secretary and secretaries looking after each of the two wings.State BJP president K S Eshwarappa refused to comment on the issue when contacted by Express. “I have no idea,” he said and added, “The chief minister is aware of what needs to be done for the welfare of all societal sections.”
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