WELFARE DEPARTMENTS

social welfare department (BACKWARD CLASS wing).

Organisation.

AT THE MINISTERIAL LEVEL, THE NEW DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE was constituted immediately on reorganisation of States, i.e. since 1st November 1956. It, however, took shape at the Directorate level since 15th September 1957 (vide Government Resolution, Labour and Social Welfare Department, No. BCE. 2857-D, dated 23rd September 1957). The backward class welfare work done previously by the Backward Class Department is now done by the Backward Class Wing of the Social Welfare Department. The other wing of the Social Welfare Department is the Correctional Wing. The designation of the Director of Backward Class Welfare is now changed to Director of Social Welfare who is the head of the Social Welfare Department of the Maharashtra State, He is assisted by a Joint Director of Social Welfare. The post of the Chief Inspector of Certified Schools and Institutions is redesignated as Deputy Director of Social Welfare (Correctional Wing) and this officer assists the Director of Social Welfare in matters relating to the Correctional Wing. A third post of Deputy Director, has also been created under the Social Welfare Department to look after the work other than backward class welfare and correctional wing. The Backward Class Wing of the Social Welfare Department aims at ameliorating the conditions of Backward Classes so that they reach the standards of other privileged sections of the society as quickly as possible.

At the district level, the department has district officers now called Social Welfare Officers who are of the status of second grade Mamlatdars. They execute the schemes implemented by the Social Welfare Department and co-ordinate the work of backward class welfare in the district in respect of backward class welfare schemes implemented by the various departments of the State. They are expected to work as a kind of liaison officers between the backward classes and various departments of Government. It is part of their duties to see that the fullest benefit of all legislation enacted by Government is received by the backward classes. They are also expected to see that the backward classes derive the maximum benefit of the concessions sanctioned by Government in any field for the amelioration of the backward classes.

Backward Classes.

Backward classes include the following three categories: (1) The Scheduled Castes or Harijans; (2) The Scheduled Tribes or Adivasis; and (3) The other Backward Classes, who are neither Scheduled Castes nor Scheduled Tribes but socially, economically and educationally are as backward as the other two categories. The communities coming under the first two categories are notified by the Government of India under the orders of the President for each of the States in the Indian Union. The communities coming under other Backward Classes were recognised by the State Government as per Government Resolution, Labour and Social Welfare Department, No. OBC. 1759-E, dated 18th May 1959. This class of Other Backward Classes based previously on the basis of communities has now been abolished and a new category of Other Backward Classes based on income, i.e., those having annual income of less than Rs. 900 has been created.

It is the policy of Government to ameliorate the conditions of backward classes so as to bring them in line with the other sections of the population. A number of privileges have also been granted to backward classes by the constitution of India and special grants are also being paid every year by Government of India, under article 275(i), for ameliorating the condition of backward classes. Besides normal concessions made available to backward classes from time to time, special schemes have been framed for backward classes by the State Government under the Five-Year Plans and these are being implemented vigorously.

Various Measures of Uplift.

Educational.

The uplift of the Backward Classes is sought to be achieved in many ways. First of all, special facilities are given to them for receiving education. For example, they get free studentships in Government as well as non-Government schools, and scholarships and freeships in arts, science and professional colleges and technical institutions. In higher primary schools and secondary schools a good number of sets of scholarships are reserved for Backward Class students. These scholarships are granted to them on the results of competitive examinations. In addition, the department gives monetary help to poor and deserving students from the Backward Classes, studying in higher primary, secondary, collegiate and technical institutions, by way of lump-sum scholarships for the purchase of slates, books, tools, etc. and for payment of examination fees for the Secondary School Certificate and post-Secondary School Certificate Examinations.

Special ashram schools for Scheduled Tribes and sanskar kendras ''and balwadis are also opened for the spread of education amongst backward classes.

Hostels.

There are four hostels run by the District School Board for backward class pupils which are situated at Lavel, Palshet, Rampur and Palwani. Besides these there are nine other hostels run by the voluntary agencies which are situated at Dapoli, Lanje, Kankavli, Ratnagiri and Kharepatan as shown below:-

LIST OF BACKWARD CLASS HOSTELS MAINTAINED BY VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, RATNAGIRI DISTRICT

Housing.

Special attention is devoted to provision of housing accommodation for the Backward Classes. The department helps in providing housing sites for members of the Backward Classes by acquiring lands and disposing of the plots to individual members at a nominal occupancy price fixed in consultation with the Collector of the district. Under a Post-War Reconstruction Scheme, Backward Class housing societies are eligible to receive an interest-free loan up to 75 per cent, of the cost of construction limited to Rs. 1,500 in backward areas and Rs. 2,000 in other areas. Government have ordered in the same scheme that free provision should be made of three gunthas of land for a Backward Class family engaged in agricultural pursuits and one-and-a-half gunthas of land for a Backward Class family engaged in non-agricultural pursuits. With a view to breaking down the isolation of Scheduled Caste quarters, Government have also ordered that the houses of Scheduled Castes should be shifted closer to the main village sites, waste lands, where available, being granted to the Scheduled Castes for housing purposes on payment of reasonable occupancy price. Similar concessions are granted to individual members of Backward Classes where organisation of a Backward Class co-operative housing society is not possible. There are in all four co-operative housing societies of backward class persons established in the district to which Government aid is given. They are given below:-

LIST OF CO-OPERATIVE HOUSING SOCIETIES OF BACKWARD CLASS IN THE DISTRICT

Economic Regeneration.

The economic regeneration of the Backward Classes is promoted by various means. With a view to improving the technique of the hereditary occupations of these classes, Government have sanctioned a number of peripatetic parties for imparting training to them in various industrial subjects. Stipends are granted to students admitted to these classes. Backward Class students are also awarded scholarships for taking industrial training at the various technical and industrial institutions. After training, the Backward Class artisans are encouraged to organise industrial co-operatives and help in the form of loans and subsidies is granted to such societies. Individual Backward Class artisans can also take advantage of similar financial assistance. Co-operative farming societies of Backward Classes also get State help in the form of loans, subsidies, revenue free land for cultivation, etc.

With effect from 1st November 1950, in regard to Class I and Class II posts in the State service, 12 per cent, of vacancies are reserved for Backward Classes as a whole. Vacancies in Class III and Class IV services are reserved for various sections as follows:-

The maximum age-limits prescribed for appointment to Class III and IV services and posts under the relevant recruitment rules are relaxable by five years in favour of Backward Class candidates.

Social Uplift.

Measures have been taken to ensure the social uplift of the Backward Classes, especially Harijans. The Bombay Harijan (Removal of Social Disabilities) Act (X of 1946) and the Bombay Harijan Temple Entry Act (XXXV of 1947), as amended in 1948 have been '. enacted with a view to bringing about the complete removal of untouchability as far as public and civic rights are concerned. The Bombay Devadasis Protection Act (X of 1934), has declared unlawful the performance of any ceremony having the effect of dedicating girls as devadasis. These unfortunate girls were usually members of the Backward Classes.

The Social Welfare Department has to see that the policy of Government is fully implemented in day-to-day administration.

Social Welfare.

The activity under this is designed to remove the stigma of untouchability in respect of Scheduled Castes, assimilation of Scheduled Tribes in the general population without destroying their hereditary traits and rehabilitation of Ex-Criminal Tribes and Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes from among the category of other Backward Classes. Legislation as well as propaganda through voluntary agencies are the means used to achieve this object.

Mention may be made of the Untouchability Offences Act, 1955, passed by the Government of India to stop the practice of observance of untouchability.

With the liberal assistance of the Central Government under Article 275(i) of the Constitution of India, amounting to 50 per cent, of the expenditure by State Government, various measures are taken by the State Government for the uplift of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Vimukta Jatis and Other Backward Classes under the Second Five-Year Plan. These measures are framed after taking into consideration the needs of these sections of Backward Classes and with a view to achieving their economic uplift, settlement and removal of their social disabilities. The Second Five-Year Plan provides for a programme of backward class welfare for which a total outlay of Rs. 4.50 crores has been made. Besides this Government of India has also sponsored on cent, per cent, basis a special programme amounting to Rs. 3.27 crores for the welfare of backward classes in Maharashtra State which includes the opening of seven multipurpose projects in Scheduled Areas of the State, along with other measures for the welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Vimukta Jatis.

In the implementation of these backward class welfare measures, advice and co-operation is also sought from the eminent social workers and voluntary organisations through the State Board for Harijan Welfare, the State Tribes Advisory Council and the District Backward Class Sub-Committees of the District Development Board in each district.

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