Clear pending cases of caste atrocities, Karnataka CM tells officials
Bommai directs Principal Secy (Social Welfare) to coordinate with departments on speedy justice under SC/ST Act
BENGALURU:
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has directed officials to take steps for speedy disposal of pending court cases pertaining to atrocities against SCs and STs.
He was chairing a meeting on Monday of the State Level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 in Vidhana Soudha.
The CM directed the Principal Secretary (Social Welfare) to coordinate with the Home and Law Departments so as to ensure there is no delay in investigations, filing of chargesheets and prosecution hearings. He also directed the officials concerned to take steps to increase the conviction rate in such cases.
Bommai directed the officials to review the Action Taken Report on committee decisions every month. It was decided to hold quarterly meetings of the committee, in case there are issues that need to be addressed immediately. He also directed quarterly meetings of the district level and sub-divisional level committees.
Protection for witnesses
The CM told the officials to focus on the safety and protection of complainants and witnesses. In sensitive cases, he advised the police to take them to court under police protection. It was also decided to appoint an Additional Advocate General to oversee the process.
Caste benefits
More than 1.8 lakh applications under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act 2006 have been rejected by the state government. To review the issue, it was decided to set up a state-level review committee which will include 3 members from these communities.
ಸಚಿವರಾದ @KotasBJP, @sriramulubjp, @JCMBJP, ಸಮಿತಿಯ ಸದಸ್ಯರಾದ ಸಂಸದರು, ಶಾಸಕರು, ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಮುಖ್ಯಕಾರ್ಯದರ್ಶಿ ಪಿ.ರವಿಕುಮಾರ್ ಮತ್ತು ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಹಿರಿಯ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳು ಉಪಸ್ಥಿತರಿದ್ದರು. (2/2)
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) August 30, 2021
The CM directed stern action against those who submit fake caste certificates and those who issue such certificates – in the process depriving eligible people of government benefits.
Bommai also directed the departments concerned to amend the rules so as to increase the time limit for applying for government jobs on compassionate grounds for kin of caste atrocity victims.
‘Prioritise SC/ST welfare’
The CM directed the officials to prioritise the education, employment and empowerment of SC/ST people and implement their welfare programmes in a time-bound manner. He said escoms had been directed to utilise funds under SCSP/TSP. The Act would be amended to ensure that the funds allocated for the welfare of these communities are utilized only for that purpose.
Ministers Kota Shrinivasa Poojary, B Shriramulu and JC Madhuswamy, members of the committee, Chief Secretary P Ravikumar and other senior officials were present.
About the Author
