Conviction rate under SC, ST Act low in State: National Commission
Special Correspondent
The Hindu N.M. Kamble, Vice-Chairman, National Commission for
Scheduled Castes (right) and Mahendra Boddh, Member, addressing the
media at the Secretariat in Chennai on Thursday. Photo; V. Ganesan
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes on Thursday criticised
the Tamil Nadu government for high pendency of cases and low
conviction rate under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989.
Vice-Chairman of the Commission N.M. Kamble, who along with Member of
the Commission Mahendra Boddh, conducted a State-level review meeting
with Adi-Dravidar Welfare Minister Tamilarasi and senior officials of
the government, pulled up the police department for not completing
investigation within the stipulated timeframe in many cases.
He told reporters that that in the absence of details on the grounds
under which acquittal was done, the panel was in no position to say
who was at fault. Mr. Boddh gave year-wise break-up of the pending
cases, disposal of cases and conviction.
Mr. Kamble, former Congress Rajya Sabha MP and Maharashtra Minister,
said the administration did not provide the Commission information,
district-wise and ward-wise, on various welfare schemes for the SCs.
No details on the representation of SCs in important departments such
as police and education were furnished. There was no liaison officer,
whose rank was not less than deputy secretary, to act as the link
between the government and SC government employees.
He also found fault with the government in respect of not retrieving
from other communities lands assigned to the SCs. There were nearly
8,000 such cases. Pointing out that other States provided
district-wise information on various parameters, he said Chief
Secretary [K.S. Sripathi] had assured the panel of furnishing the
requisite information within a month. Asked which State was doing good
work in the Commission's assessment, the Vice-Chairman replied that no
State was performing up to the satisfaction of the panel.
When asked for the reaction to the State government's initiative of
providing three per cent reservation to Arunthathiars within the
overall quota of SCs, Mr. Kamble described it as "unconstitutional."
The move could be challenged in court. The government should have
consulted the Commission before coming out with any such legislation.
He said the Commission had covered almost three-fourths of the
country. It was yet to visit Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat and West
Bengal.
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