|
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is holding a National Conference on prevention of atrocities against the persons belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes on January 11, 2004 in New Delhi. Concerned state Ministers, nodal Secretaries and Heads of Protection of Civil Rights Cells in State governments are attending the Conference. The Human Rights Commission, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, the National Commission for Women, the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis and concerned NGOs and Social Action Groups have been invited to participate in the conference.
The Conference will be inaugurated by the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Smt. Meira Kumar who will review the situation across the country. The Home Minister Shri Shivraj Patil will deliver key note address on the efficacy of administration of criminal justice to prevent atrocities against SCs and STs. The Law Minister Shri H.R.Bhardwaj will speak on expeditious deliverance of justice by judiciary to SC/ST atrocity victims. The Minister of Tribal Affairs Shri R.P. Kyndiah will speak on offences of atrocities against the Scheduled Tribes.
The Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 have been enacted to prevent atrocities against the SCs/STs and provide relief to victims.
13 States have been identified as atrocity prone. 133 Special Courts have been set up in 10 states for speedy trial of cases under the POA, Act. All states (except Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland) have notified the existing Sessions Courts for trial of offences under POA, Act. Special Cells have been set up in 17 States/UTs for implementation of the Act.
The data reveals that during 2003 nine states accounted for about 90 percent of total 22,066 cases registered under the POA, Act. These are Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. About 1.40 lakh cases including the backlog were pending with designated Special Courts at the end of 2003. Out of 20,781 cases disposed off during that year, 2,694 ended in convictions while 18,087 cases were either withdrawn or ended in acquittal. Similarly only 3.75 cases ended in conviction under the PCR, Act while 94.93% cases were pending at the end of 2003.
The National Conference will among other things deliberate on reasons for low rate of convictions, speedy disposal of pending cases and on ways and means to generate awareness as well as action for prevention of atrocities against SCs and STs.
MLD/UB….SJE-47(CR SC atrocities) Jan-7
|
