Dharwad: District in-charge minister Vinay Kulkarni urged educated Dalit people and officials who have come up by availing government’s reservation facilities, not to forget their past and help their brethren who have not availed such facilities.

Speaking after inaugurating Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s 126th Jayanti programme here on Friday, Kulkarni said that still a majority of people from the scheduled caste and tribes were leading a miserable life and thus requested the educated Dalits to extend a helping hand towards them and enable them to join mainstream life.

Siddaramaiah government is devoted towards this task and is implementing many welfare programmes for SC, ST community. Government has opened 125 Morarji Residential Schools for SC, ST students, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar School of Economics is being opened in Bengaluru besides the government has set aside Rs. 29,000 crores under SCP and TSP schemes, he said.

Retired Professor M.T. Kambale delivered a special lecture on the occasion.

DC Dr. S.B. Bommanahalli who presided over the event remembered rich contributions of Dr. Ambedkar to the nation.

Five persons who excelled in different fields were honoured on the occasion. Free Laptops were distributed among students of government schools who excelled in SSLC examination.

ZP president Chaitra Shirur, ZP CEO R.Snehal, SP Dharmendrakumar Meena and other dignitaries were present.

Prior to this, a procession involving folk arts was taken out on important thoroughfares of city in the morning which was flagged off by DC Bommanahalli.