18 Dec : The number of cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 was 31,387 in the year 2005, 32,407 in the year 2006 and 35, 352 in the year 2007.
A Committee under the Chairpersonship of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment constituted in 2006, for effective coordination to devise ways and means to curb offences of untouchability and atrocities against Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and effective implementation of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The Committee has held six meetings at Delhi on 18.09.2006, at Jaipur on 15.01.2007, at Mumbai on 11.08.2007, at Hyderabad on 28.01.2008, at Chandigarh on 14.03.2008 and on 30.05.2008 at Agartala.
As provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 are implemented by the concerned State Governments/Union Territory Administration, the Ministry has addressed them to implement its provisions in letter and spirit. Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme due central assistance is also provided to them, mainly for strengthening of the administrative, enforcement and judicial machinery, inter caste marriages, awareness generation, and relief and rehabilitation of the affected persons.
This information was given by Smt. Subbulakhmi Jagadeesan, the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.