Panel wants SC status for Chain community across Bengal

Kolkata, March 10 (IANS) With the West Bengal government erroneously according Scheduled Caste status to the 'Chain' community only in four districts, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes on Tuesday said it will initiate the process of extending the status to the community in the entire state.

On a fact-finding mission, commission member Ishwar Singh during the day met representatives of the Chain community as well as state principal secretary for backward welfare here.

The state government had conferred SC status to Chain community only in the four districts of Nadia, Murshidabad, Malda and South Dinajpur while the community remained deprived of the status in the remaining 15 districts in the state.

"The Chain community residing in other districts, have remain deprived since 2002 when the state government had conferred the status in the four districts. Today I was here to enquire about the discrepancy," Singh said here.

"The state principal secretary (backward classes welfare) admitted the discrepancy but could not provide any reason for the same. He however agreed that entire community should come under the ambit of SC. I will submit by recommendation to centre seeking the entire community be accorded the SC status irrespective of their district," said Singh.

With a population in excess of four lakh as per the last census, Singh said the Chains are mostly concentrated in the four districts of Nadia, Murshidabad, Malda and South Dinajpur and are dependent mostly on fishing and animal rearing for their livelihood.

He said he will be submitting his recommendations to the Centre within the next seven days.