[ad_1]
The State authorities on Monday conceded earlier than the Madras High Court that the State-Level High-Power Vigilance and Monitoring Committee, headed by the Chief Minister, for reviewing implementation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989, did not meet even as soon as between June 25, 2013, and September 8 this 12 months.
In a counter affidavit filed earlier than Justices M.M. Sundresh and R. Hemalatha, Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Secretary Otem Dai stated the conferences might not be held because of “administrative reasons”.
The judges, nevertheless, identified that it was necessary for the committee to fulfill not less than twice a 12 months, as per statutory guidelines framed underneath the Act.
They directed the federal government to adjust to the principles, in letter and in spirit, not less than sooner or later and guarantee that the conferences had been held each January and July. The course was issued whereas disposing of a public curiosity litigation petition filed by N. Panneerselvam of Coimbatore, by means of his counsel S. Kumara Devan, looking for a course for convening the conferences commonly.
‘Task carried out’
Filing a counter to the petition, Mr. Dai stated that although the committee, headed by the Chief Minister, did not meet for almost seven years, the duty entrusted to it was efficiently carried out by the Chief Secretary and different officers, by means of month-to-month and quarterly conferences.
Hence, the overview of circumstances of atrocities towards the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes was under no circumstances affected.
He additionally introduced it to the discover of the court docket that the State-Level High-Power Vigilance and Monitoring Committee was reconstituted final 12 months with the newly-elected members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, and its first assembly was held underneath the chairmanship of Chief Minister Edappadi Ok. Palaniswami on September 8.
During the assembly, points associated to the implementation of the Act, reduction and rehabilitation services supplied to the victims, prosecution of circumstances underneath the Act, function of various businesses in implementing the legislation, and varied experiences obtained by the federal government with regard to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes had been mentioned, the court docket was advised.
[ad_2]
