After sleeping for more than four years to review the growing cases of atrocities on Dalits in the State, National Commission of Schedule Caste (NCSC), chairman, Pl Punia, finally wake up and took the issue of demotion of members of the community due to withdrawal of `quota in promotion’ in the State.
``I took up the matter of issue of quota of promotion in the government job with the chief minister as majority of peoples representatives and others had drawn my attention towards it”, revealed Punia, while talking to media persons soon after review meeting with the state government on Wednesday morning. ``Initially chief minister Akhilesh Yadav accepted to look into the said issue by appointing a Group of Ministers but when I pointed that it might make unnecessary delay the process, Mr Yadav had assured me to form a technical committee to examine that how the guidelines made in Nagraj Case judgement could be follow on the issue”, added Punia. He also claimed to have showed his concern with the chief minister that why the demotion of the officers benefited after 1997 have been made when the same should be made from 2006 onwards when the decision in the regard arrived. It may be mentioned that the review meeting on issues related to Dalit community has been take after four years.
Interestingly, Punia also claimed to have agreed with the State government that the percentage of atrocities on Dalit if take in term of percentage of population in the state, is less than committed in other state but at the same time, he said to have registered his concern over the increase in crime if compare to those committed in 2012. In 2012, 6727 cases of dalit atrocities have been registered in the State but this figure in 2014 increases to 9112 cases. Punia also said to have registered of non-registration of cases citing that in last year, more than 1500 cases of dalit atrocities have been registered after the court intervened into the matter which showed that the cops refused to entertain the complaint. He also asked to take interest in disposal of cases citing that at present 50000 cases were pending in trial and out of 3276 decisions last year, conviction in just 1772 cases could be made. NCSC chairman also said to have asked state government to hold regular meetings of State and District level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee to review matters related to excesses of dalits and welfare projects taken up by the government.
Hailing the efforts of State Government for making on-line provision to provide scholarship, fees or other financial benefits to the members of Dalit community, Punia said that it must be also ensure that Rs 14633 crore, which is 21 percent of the total state budget, should be spent for direct benefit of the SC community and not on providing general infrastructure as it not benefiting in uplifting of the community. He said majority of dalits are still living under below poverty line just due to improper use of the fund meant for the development. Punia said to have asked the government to ensure that Dalit scholars had not to pay any fees for taking up studies even in private colleges that they same should be met with the funds allocated to the government. He also directed to improve the living standard in government run hostel for dalits and that to construct more such hostels specially for girl students. lastly reply to a question on killing of Dalit youth by the cops of the Dewa police station at Barabanki and later making it as a case of suicide, Punia said that he too was not convinced with the police theory. ``I already ordered the Commission to look into the case and once the finding would come, he will recommend a probe by Central Bureau of Investigation or by Crime Branch Crime Investigation Department (CB CID) so that guilty could be punished.
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