Bali against removal of Chang caste from OBC list

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, July 21

Minister of Food and Civil Supplies, Transport and Technical Education, GS Bali has flayed the move of the Backward Classes Commission to remove Chang caste of Kangra from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) list.

While addressing a press conference here today, Bali said he had come to know that the commission had initiated a process to remove Chang caste of Kangra from the OBC list. Chang caste is one of most backward classes in Kangra district. Its economic status was also low.

He said the commission should give proper hearing to representatives of Chang caste before taking any decision regarding its removal from the OBC list. If Chang caste was removed from the OBC list without proper hearing it would be a great injustice on them, GS Bali said.

The Backward Classes Commission had held an open hearing at Dharamsala recently. Though the hearing was held to include the residents of Chota and Bara Bhangal in the OBC list, the sources here said that matter of removal of Chang caste from the OBC list also came up.

Bali also said that the trial of the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) bus to Rohtang had been successful. He congratulated the Transport Department for the achievement.

He said that though the trial had been successful, the HPRTC was reeling under financial crises and cannot afford to buy CNG buses quickly. It would require support from the state and union governments for purchasing CNG buses.

He also said that the state government was concerned about the livelihood of taxi operators in Manali after ban on commercial activities at Rohtang imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

He said the Transport Department was mulling allotting alternative routes to the taxi operators in the areas around Manali so that their livelihood was not hit.

The government is also representing the case of the taxi operators before the NGT.

Bali also directed the district officials to provide immediate aid to the victims of landslides in Kangra district. Residents in many rural areas of Kangra have suffered loss of property due to heavy rains this month. The affected people should be provided all kind of support.