SC/ST panel flags fake caste certificates, land disputes in Belagavi

Belagavi: Karnataka State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes chairperson Murthy L on Monday said the commission had received several complaints related to fake caste certificates and land grabbing in Belagavi district and warned of strict action against those found guilty.Speaking to the media at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, Murthy said around 4,500 applications were pending before the commission, of which nearly 3,850 cases were under investigation. He expressed concern that land distributed by the government to SC/ST beneficiaries often turned out to be under litigation, forcing poor recipients to make repeated visits to courts.Murthy alleged that funds released under the Special Component Plan (SCP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) schemes were not being utilised properly. He said local bodies had failed to provide even basic facilities to civic workers and noted a shortage of hostels for Scheduled Caste students.Referring to complaints about delays in registering atrocity cases and alleged indifference of officials towards SC/ST grievances, Murthy said the commission would take the issue seriously and initiate strict action.He recalled that cases of people obtaining fake caste certificates were on the rise in the district and stressed that details of works taken up under SCP-TSP funds must be displayed on notice boards, with contracts awarded strictly as per government norms.Murthy said the chief minister would be informed about the need for basic amenities for the Hakki-Pikki community and that a special package would be sought for Dalit families affected by floods.After completing a statewide tour over the next 15 days, the commission will submit a comprehensive report to the government, he added