NCSC member calls for swift action on pending cases

GUNTUR: National Commission for Scheduled Castes member P.M. Kamalamma on Wednesday expressed concern that efforts were on to undermine the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

Stating that there were large number of pending cases filed under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, the member directed the police officers to be more vigilant in attending to these cases.

Addressing a media conference, Ms. Kamalamma said that there were 140 pending cases filed under POA in Guntur district alone and asked the rural Superintendent of Police to take immediate action, complete the investigation and file charge sheets.

Even in some cases, where preliminary investigation, did not support the information provided by the complainant, further action should be taken after taking due consent from the judge. In most of the cases, delay in registering FIR was helping the accused to evade the arrest, she pointed out.

The member also came out strongly in support of the demand from various Dalit associations that farmers cultivating assigned lands should also be paid equal land-to-land compensation on par with registered lands.

The construction of new capital region should involve all stakeholders and farmers belonging to marginalised sections should be provided land, a constructed house and a government job for every family. Ms. Kamalamma appealed to the State government to immediately release funds from State financial corporation to entrepreneurs since most of them have been waiting for a year.

Review meet

Earlier, Ms. Kamalamma took part in a review meeting with revenue, police, municipal and other departmental heads. She received 51 petitions from various members and associations relating to revenue and POA issues. The petitions would be forwarded to the district collector for further action. Compliance reports should be sent on all petitions from the commission and the cases would be taken for hearing in the next meeting scheduled to be held in February 2015.

Joint Collector Ch. Sridhar, Superintendents of Police, Rajesh Kumar (Guntur Urban), P.H.D Ramakrishna (Guntur Rural), District Revenue Officer K. Naga Babu, RDO, Guntur Bhaskar Naidu and representatives from various associations took part.

Source: The Hindu