Bhubaneswar: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday stressed that both central and state governments must work in tandem to ensure that welfare schemes reach the last citizen, especially those from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Only through such coordinated effort, he said, can the true benefits of development and progress be delivered. He also underscored the urgent need for every State Assembly to constitute dedicated Committees on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, so that focused and sustained attention can be given to issues concerning these communities.
Birla made these remarks at the Valedictory Session of the two-day National Conference of Chairpersons of Committees of Parliament and State Legislatures on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Bhubaneswar.
He said while Parliament already has such Committees actively monitoring welfare measures, the absence of similar institutional mechanisms in some States limits the effectiveness of oversight at the grassroots. Such Committees would not only facilitate regular review of implementation of policies and schemes but also ensure that the concerns of SC/ST communities are addressed in a time-bound manner.
He said India has taken undertaken wide-ranging reforms to strengthen the rights of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and to ensure that they are in tune with present-day aspirations. Committees, he said, play a crucial role in this process by examining budgetary provisions in minute detail, reviewing the performance of welfare schemes, and suggesting improvements. This detailed scrutiny not only enhances transparency in governance but also ensures accountability of the government to the people.
Birla underlined that through intensive discussions during the Conference, participants debated how best the benefits of constitutional provisions, budgetary allocations, and welfare schemes could reach members of SC and ST communities, making them truly empowered and Atmanirbhar.
The Lok Sabha Speaker observed that such a roadmap must encompass all facets of development—social, educational, economic, and political—so that by the year 2047, India can truly realize the vision of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar: an equitable, just, and inclusive society.
He reiterated that the recommendations emerging from these Committees should be seen as constructive guidance for course correction, not as criticism. When governments and committees work together in this spirit, the results are always more enduring and effective, he added. Further noting that education and technology are drivers of empowerment of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, he called for using these tools for empowering the communities and the nation.
Birla expressed confidence that the “Bhubaneswar Agenda 2025”, will act as a framework for action, guiding the work of Parliament and State Legislatures in the years to come. With the blessings of Lord Jagannath and the vision of Babasaheb Ambedkar, he said, India will march confidently towards building a Viksit Bharat by 2047, where every member of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will live with dignity, equality, and justice.
Governor of Odisha Hari Babu Kambhampati; Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida; Speaker Surama Padhy; Chairman, Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of SCs and STs, Faggan Singh Kulaste; and Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Harivansh also addressed the distinguished gathering on this occasion.
