The Hindu: Tamilnadu: Saturday, 15 April 2023.
The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment says it does not maintain such information
The Union government has no data on the State Level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee (SVMC) meetings to be held twice a year to review the implementation of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
The SVMCs, chaired by the Chief Ministers of the States and comprising Ministers, MPs, MLAs and top bureaucrats, should meet in January and July to review the implementation of the provisions of the Act, the schemes for victims/witnesses to access justice, relief/rehabilitation, prosecution of cases, the role of officers or agencies responsible for implementing the Act.
Raj Kapil, a Chennai-based academic, wrote to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment under the RTI Act, calling for the State-wise data on the number of SVMC meetings held since 1995 under Rule 16(2) of the SC and ST Rules, 1995. The Chief Public Information Officer replied, “No such information is maintained by this CPIO.” The petitioner was advised to write to the States concerned.
‘Lack of commitment’
“The fact that the details of the number of meetings of SVMCs are not available with the Ministry shows lack of commitment towards collecting such information from the States... Rule 16 is a measure of accountability for the implementation of the Act, which is a milestone in eliminating atrocities against the oppressed,” Mr. Raj Kapil told The Hindu on Friday.
He said that in States like Tamil Nadu, where at least 50 SVMC meetings should have been held since 1995, hardly 10 meetings had been conducted so far. Lack of such information at the level of the Union Ministry was forcing the petitioner to move from one State to another for the information. There was no national-level scorecard for the States implementing Rule 16 of the SC and ST Rules.
The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment is the nodal agency for overall policy, planning and coordination of the programmes for the development of the oppressed groups. “The Ministry should come up with some performance indicator in relation to the implementation of the Act at the State level,” he said.
The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment says it does not maintain such information
The Union government has no data on the State Level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee (SVMC) meetings to be held twice a year to review the implementation of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
The SVMCs, chaired by the Chief Ministers of the States and comprising Ministers, MPs, MLAs and top bureaucrats, should meet in January and July to review the implementation of the provisions of the Act, the schemes for victims/witnesses to access justice, relief/rehabilitation, prosecution of cases, the role of officers or agencies responsible for implementing the Act.
Raj Kapil, a Chennai-based academic, wrote to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment under the RTI Act, calling for the State-wise data on the number of SVMC meetings held since 1995 under Rule 16(2) of the SC and ST Rules, 1995. The Chief Public Information Officer replied, “No such information is maintained by this CPIO.” The petitioner was advised to write to the States concerned.
‘Lack of commitment’
“The fact that the details of the number of meetings of SVMCs are not available with the Ministry shows lack of commitment towards collecting such information from the States... Rule 16 is a measure of accountability for the implementation of the Act, which is a milestone in eliminating atrocities against the oppressed,” Mr. Raj Kapil told The Hindu on Friday.
He said that in States like Tamil Nadu, where at least 50 SVMC meetings should have been held since 1995, hardly 10 meetings had been conducted so far. Lack of such information at the level of the Union Ministry was forcing the petitioner to move from one State to another for the information. There was no national-level scorecard for the States implementing Rule 16 of the SC and ST Rules.
The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment is the nodal agency for overall policy, planning and coordination of the programmes for the development of the oppressed groups. “The Ministry should come up with some performance indicator in relation to the implementation of the Act at the State level,” he said.
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