The Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot has urged the states to implement constitutional safe guards for Scheduled Caste effectively to create crime free environment against SC. He said the Government has strengthened constitutional provisions for prevention of atrocities against Scheduled Caste and for their empowerment. He said urgent steps should be taken to ensure implementation these provisions effectively and to set up monitoring mechanism at each level.
Inaugurating the meeting of Chief Secretaries, Secretaries (Home), Secretary Social Welfare and Director Generals of Police of the State to discuss the issues of atrocities on Scheduled Castes and utilisation of Scheduled Castes Sub- Plan Funds here today, Shri Gehlot said that eradicating the discriminatory practices against Scheduled Caste is our constitutional responsibility. State Government should sensitise official machinery at each level for this purpose. Setting up the Special Courts, the working of the District and State Level Monitoring committees and the disbursal of the laid down monetary compensation should be monitored at highest level.
The Minister said that the persistence of socio-economic backwardness of SCs in spite of the development efforts have warranted a special and focused strategy, inter alia, to enable them to share the benefits of overall economic growth in a more equitable manner. This has been sought to be achieved through the budgeting for Scheduled Caste Sub Plan. The prime objective of Scheduled Caste Sub Plan is to channelize funds and benefits through identifies dedicated schemes, for which the States/ UTs and Union Ministries have to earmark funds in proportion to the SC population in the States/UTs and the country respectively, he said.
He said that there should be emphasis on SC beneficiary Community oriented schemes, The SCSP funds should be non divertible. States should ensure that the actual expenditure under SCSP is 100% of the allocation and funds are not reappropriated.
The meeting convened by National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) was attended by Ministers of Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Vijay Sampla, Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar and Shri Ramdas Bandu Attawale. Chairman of NCSC, Shri P.L. Punia and Vice- Chairman, Dr. Raj Kumar Verka also participated in delebrations.
The meeting discussed monitoring of prevention of Atrocities on Scheduled Castes, identification and Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers, implementation of Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) and implementation of Reservation in State Government Services including State Government PSUs.