Dalit rights activists and human rights organisations have urged Chief Minister M. K. Stalin to ensure that the State Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meetings, under Rule 16 of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act 2015, are held within the stipulated time in Tamil Nadu.
In a letter to Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, advocate I. Pandiyan, executive director, Witness for Justice, a civil rights outfit, said though there were various provisions to prevent atrocities against the members of the SC and ST community, the State government, in the past, did not make adequate administrative arrangements to ensure effective implementation of the Act. This resulted in a growing number of caste atrocities against the community.
Panel sought
Mr. Pandiyan said that an exclusive commission for the Scheduled Castes should be set up in the State to ensure that the Monitoring and Vigilance Committee meetings are held before the end of July.
VCK general secretary and Villupuram MP D. Ravikumar said that last year he had sought details on the implementation of the SC/ST Act in States and the status of State and district-level vigilance committees across India in Parliament from Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawarchand Gehlot.
