Kalyana Kendra helpline for SCs/STs launched in Karnataka

Team Udayavani, Aug 8, 2018, 3:32 PM IST

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Government on Tuesday launched a 24/7 information and grievance helpline for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) across the state.

“The ‘Kalyana Kendra’ (welfare centre) helpline will allow members of SC & ST communities to get information on the state’s welfare programmes for them as well as register complaints,” a Social Welfare Department statement said.

The helpline telephone number is 080-22634300 while 9901100000 can be used for Whatsapp and text message complaint registration.

The department has not mentioned the number of SCs/STs in the state and how it will identify and authenticate the callers through phone calls without a caste census data.

Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, who launched the helpline, urged the community for its use to know about the benefits the state offered for the SCs/STs.

“The helpline is meant to strive for the welfare and development of the downtrodden and the weaker sections. The success of this initiative will be determined by the level of public engagement,” Parameshwara said on the occasion.

People can also register their complaints on discrimination and abuse anonymously on the helpline.

“This is a first-of-its-kind effort to ensure that SCs and STs are empowered with information and processes of availing of government benefits meant for them,” said Social Welfare Minister Priyank Kharge.

A person registering any complaint through the helpline will be provided with a registration number, after which it will be forwarded to the officials concerned. If the issue is not resolved, it will be forwarded to the higher authorities till it reaches the director of the Social Welfare Department, commissioner and additional chief secretary and finally, the social welfare minister. The details of the action taken on the complaint will be provided to the applicant within a specified time, the statement said.