Bangana/Una, March 15 (Paigham-e-Jagat):- A one-day awareness camp was organized by the State Scheduled Castes Commission on Sunday in Jogipanga, located within the Kutlehar Assembly constituency of Una district. The camp was presided over by the Commission's Chairman and former Minister, Kuldeep Kumar Dhiman. On this occasion, the MLA for Kutlehar, Vivek Sharma, was present as a special guest. Commission members—Advocate Vijay Dogra, Advocate Digvijay Malhotra, and Advocate Shalini—were also present at the event.
The primary objective of the camp was to raise awareness among members of the Scheduled Castes community regarding their constitutional rights, legal protections, and the various welfare schemes being implemented for their benefit. During the event, information was also disseminated regarding the various schemes and legal provisions being implemented by the state government for the upliftment and empowerment of the Scheduled Castes community.
In his address, the Commission's Chairman and former Minister, Kuldeep Kumar Dhiman, stated that the architect of the Constitution, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, bestowed numerous significant rights upon the Scheduled Castes community; however, even today, a large section of society remains not fully aware of these rights. He emphasized that if any individual belonging to the Scheduled Castes community faces atrocities, they may register a complaint with the Commission. The Commission is committed to taking prompt action on such complaints to ensure justice for the victims and remains ready to serve the public 24 hours a day.
He further stated that necessary directives would be issued to the concerned departments to ensure the time-bound disposal of complaints received by the Commission, and that these cases would also be subject to regular monitoring. He informed the gathering that, in accordance with the directives of the Chief Minister, such awareness camps are being organized across various districts of the state with the aim of sensitizing people about their rights.
Citing the thoughts of Dr. Ambedkar, he said, "Educate, Agitate, Organize. Without struggle, communities fall apart." He highlighted that, in his capacity as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution, Dr. Ambedkar ensured the provision of reservation for the Scheduled Castes community in education, government jobs, and the legislature, thereby providing the deprived sections of society with the opportunity to progress. Speaking on this occasion, Kutlehar MLA Vivek Sharma stated that the state government is implementing numerous schemes to safeguard the interests and ensure the upliftment of the Scheduled Caste community. He expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for the significant developmental gifts bestowed upon the region during his recent visit to Kutlehar and Bangana. Terming the laying of the foundation stone for the Turkal-Panga drinking water scheme—as well as the announcement regarding the establishment of a DSP office in Bangana—as major achievements for the area, he remarked that these decisions would serve to strengthen both basic infrastructure and law and order within the region.
He further informed that, under the *Swarn Jayanti Ashray Yojana* (Golden Jubilee Shelter Scheme), eligible beneficiaries are being provided financial assistance of up to ?1.50 lakh for house construction, thereby enabling needy families to build permanent, sturdy homes. Additionally, details were shared regarding follow-up programs, computer training initiatives, and provisions aimed at providing relief to victims of atrocities.
Also speaking on the occasion, Commission members—Advocate Vijay Dogra, Advocate Digvijay Malhotra, and Advocate Shalini—shared their views and raised awareness among the audience regarding their rights. The Commission's Member Secretary, Varinder Sharma, also provided an overview of the Commission's functions and activities.
Hundreds of members of the Scheduled Caste community participated in the event and listened attentively to the proceedings.
Prominent dignitaries present at the event included State Coordinator of the Scheduled Caste Department Lekh Raj Bharti; District President of the Scheduled Caste Department Balram Mahe; Block President of the Scheduled Caste Department (Kutlehar) Gurpal Kalsi; National General Secretary of the *Rashtriya Dalit Andolan* Raj Mahe; Smt. Charni Devi, Sushma Devi, and Neelam Devi; Mahender Singh Lathiani; Ramesh Banga; Gulzari Lal; Durga Das; Rakesh Katnoria; and Satya Devi. Furthermore, Kutlehar Block Congress President Ram Asra, Working President Vivek Minka, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sonu Goyal, Block Development Officer (BDO) Kishori Lal, and District Programme Officer Awas Pandit were among the other distinguished guests in attendance.