Andhra Pradesh   

SC panel raps police dept on atrocities

VIZIANAGARAM: The Legislative Committee on SC Welfare has taken a serious view of the indecisive attitude of the police department on atrocities against dalits in the district. The committee comprising S. Gangaram, Chairman, S. Rajaiah, M. Sunitha, K. Jogulu and M. Narasimha, members, reviewed the SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act, reservations in Government jobs, welfare activities and other problems related to lands with heads of department at the Z.P. conference hall here on Tuesday.

Expressing satisfaction over the action being taken on reservations in jobs, Mr. Gangaram said, according to representations received from various dalit organisations at R & B Guest House in the morning, the police had not been strictly adhering to the Justice Punnaiah Commission, including visiting sensitive and remote villages as part of Civil Rights Day on the last Friday of every month to initiate action on any person who committed an atrocity.

In the 12 districts that the committee had so far toured, the members had not noticed the two-tumbler practice in villages. But, the system was in vogue at Vempadam village in Poosapatirega mandal, Narasimhunipeta in Bobbili, Saripalli in Nellimarla and Veerasagaram in Badangi in Vizianagaram district, he said and added that in eight incidents, including rape of a minor dalit girl at Itla Mamidipalli village in Ramabhadrapuram mandal, cases under the Atrocities Act were not registered (cases were registered under IPC sections). The accused was acquitted after a trial in a Bobbili court. Some 36 cases had been so far reported in the district. Of them 27 were closed and nine were pending trial.

The chairman instructed Superintendent of Police Vikram Singh Mann, who was present at the meeting, to take action immediately.

With regard to land disputes, the chairman pointed out that a patta issued to a dalit in Dattirajeru mandal about three decades ago was scrapped for unknown reasons last year and the land was allotted to another person. He asked Joint collector B. Ramaiah to inquire into it and take action against the tehsildar concerned. In Cheepurupalli mandal, Mr. Gangaram wanted to know the reason for not appointing seven dalits even after selection as ‘Adarsha rythulu.’ On releasing industrial loans liberally to dalit entrepreneurs, the general manager of the District Industries Centre, informed the chairman that the APSFC had been demanding 25 per cent security and 22.5 per cent as margin money for releasing the loan. Mr. Gangaram said that he would inform the Chief Minister about this as the Government had relaxed the rule. He said that the committee would submit a report to the Government on the observations it made at the review meeting for action.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

APCC chief says BCs will be given due representation
Rice for Rs. 18 from August 21
Students felicitated
SC panel raps police dept on atrocities
Watch out!
CPI (M) leader alleges lapses in housing
Connectivity issue
Pre-matric scholarship
Ghastly smash-up
Hearing in A.P. on Muslim quota from September 8
TDP, Congress ZPTC members in verbal duel
Grievances day speeds up redressal
Councillor arrested
MPDO suspended
IIT dream turns into reality in State
In full swing
‘Fact-finding’ team visit
Home Science College alumni meet
Workshop on competitive exams
BRAOU extends admissions date
ISRO chief to deliver lectures at AU
Round table
Rare occurrence
Together in politics
Time to celebrate
Dream come true

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu