Union minister for Social Justice Mukul Wasnik, on Wednesday, said that Andhra Pradesh has been gaining notoriety for atrocities against people of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, for which it now occupies the 3rd position in the country.
Talking to media persons at Jubilee hall after emerging from a parliamentary standing committee meeting on the implementation of OPCP on PCR-POA Acts, Mukul Wasnik said that Rajasthan is first in the list, with 6,298 cases of violence against SC/STs.
Rajasthan is followed by Uttar Pradesh with 6,272 cases, and Andhra Pradesh stands 3rd, with 5,074 cases. 38,449 cases of atrocities cases were registered across the country in 2010.
Expressing concern over the violence against SCs and STs, he appealed to all state governments to establish special courts to deal with such cases and take steps to preventing their recurrence.
Stating that Centre has sent a note to all state governments to amend the SC/ST Act 1989, he said the government would change the Act once recommendations from the state governments are received in this regard.
Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy assured the union minister that the government would initiate serious action against the perpetrators of violence on SC/STs. Stating that recently, 65 were
arrested in the Laxmipet incident, he said that the police is yet to trace 11 other accused.
Kiran Kumar Reddy said that state government would release compensation for the victims of the incident and ensure employment to one member of each of their families.
Kiran Kumar Reddy informed the parliamentary standing committee that the government was taking all steps for the welfare and upliftment of SC/STs.
Union minister of state for Social Justice B Nipolicen, Home minister Sabitha Indra Reddy, Rural Development minister D Manikya Varaprasad, chief secretary Pankaj Dwivedi, district collectors, superintendents of police, and other senior officials participated in the meeting. (INN)