The Gazetteers Department

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. 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, an I.A.S. Officer of senior grade who looks after the backward class work. The post of the Chief Inspector of Certified Schools and Institutions is re-designated 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 been created under the Social Welfare department to look after the work other than backward class welfare and correctional wing. These two posts are Class I posts. 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 society as quickly as possible.

Organisation.

The divisional set-up of the Social Welfare Department was sanctioned in December 1960. There will be four divisions of the Social Welfare department, the divisions being same as the revenue divisions. The Divisional Office will be headed by a Class I Officer who will supervise with the help of his subordinate staff the activities of both the Backward Class Wing and the Correctional administration wing of the department The Satara district comes under the Poona Division. 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 back-ward class welfare in the district in respect of backward class welfare schemes implemented by the various departments of the State.

Backward Classes.

The classification of Backward classes is made into three broad categories, viz. (1) The Scheduled Castes or Harijans, (2) The Scheduled Tribes or Adivasis, and (3) The other Backward Classes, who, 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. The class of other backward classes based previously on the basis of the communities has now been abolished and a new category of other backward classes based on income, i.e. those having an 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 other sections of population. A number of privileges have 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 them from time to time, special schemes have been framed for them by the State Government under the Five-Year Plans and these are being implemented vigorously.

Various Measures of Uplift.

The disabilities of the backward classes are threefold; educational, economic and social. The Government has, therefore, launched a three-pronged attack with the object of eliminating these disabilities within the shortest possible time.

Education.

This is encouraged by instituting a, large number of scholarships, general concession of free studentships to backward class students, grant of lump sum scholarships for purchase of books and stationery, etc. and payment of examination fees, provision for hostel facilities, etc. for backward class students studying at all stages of education - primary, secondary and collegiate. Special Ashram schools for scheduled tribes, Samkar Kendras and Balwadis are also opened for the spread of education among backward classes.

Economic Re-habilitation.

This is mainly effected by (i) grant of cultivable waste lands and other facilities for rehabilitating backward classes in agriculture, (ii) establishing training centres for imparting training in hereditary crafts and providing financial help for their rehabilitation in various cottage industries, (iii) introducing the co-operative movement in their day-to-day life, providing them all facilities provided by the State under co-operative activity with special additional concessions and safeguards for backward classes, (iv) introducing special measures for housing, (v) reserving certain percentage of vacancies for them in services under State Government and local bodies and under semi-Government organisations.

Social Welfare.

The activity under this head 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.

Measures have been taken to ensure the social uplift of the back-ward classes especially Harijans. The Bombay Harijan (Removal of Social Disabilities) Act (X of 1946), the Bombay Harijan Temple Entry Act (XXXV of 1947), as amended in 1948 and the Untouch-ability Offences Act, 1955, passed by the Central Government 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 performances of any ceremony having the effect of dedicating girls as devadasis. These unfortunate girls were usually members of the backward classes.

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 under-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 backward classes and with a view to achieving their economic uplift, settlement and removal of their social disabilities. The Second Five-Year Plan provided for a programme of backward class welfare for which a total outlay of Rs. 4.50 crores was made. Besides this, the Government of India has also sponsored on cent, per cent, basis a special programme amounting to Rs. 166.03 lakhs for the welfare of backward classes in Maharashtra State, which includes the opening of four multipurpose projects in scheduled areas of the State, along with other measures for the welfare of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and vimukta jatis.

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

Several institutions are established in the district for the welfare of backward classes.

There are hostels run by voluntary agencies (14); pre-plan period co-operative housing societies (3); co-operative housing societies under First Five-Year Plan (8); and co-operative housing societies under the Second Five-Year Plan (6). In addition there are industrial co-operative societies (5); tanners co-operative societies (5); leather charmakars co-operative societies (3); lokar vinkar co-operative societies (9); machhimari societies (4); farming societies (7); labour contract societies (3); forest labourers' societies (2); sanskar kendras (2); balwadis (2) and a tailoring class for women of the nomadic tribes. The number of institutions is given in the bracket.

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