NHRCs Open Hearing and Camp Sitting for cases related to Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and UT of Chandigarh at Chandigarh concludes (28.11.2014) PRESS RELEASE New Delhi, 28th November, 2014 Open Hearing to hear and redress the grievances of scheduled castes was held at Chandigarh on the 26th November, 2014. During the course of Open Haring, 95 complaints from Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh were taken up. The issues raised in the complaints related to rehabilitation of Scheduled Caste persons who had been occupying Government land for decades and were recently evicted, the indifference of police to atrocities on Scheduled Castes, the registration of construction workers under the Building, Other Construction Workers (Registration of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, encroachment by upper castes on land allotted to Scheduled Castes and inaction of revenue authorities to restore possession, the filling up of back log to Scheduled Caste vacancies, etc. While disposing of the complaints, the Commission emphasized that the police should be more pro-active in dealing with atrocities on Scheduled Castes. The Commission also recommended that Scheduled Caste persons, who had been residing on Government land for decades should be evicted only after proper steps for their rehabilitation are taken. Appropriate directions were also given in other cases. On the 27th November, 2014, pending cases were taken up in the meetings of Full Commission and Division Benches. The Full Commission took up 11 cases relating to various issues, while 17 cases of custodial deaths and police encounters were taken up by the Division Benches. The issues involved in the Full Commission were related to functioning of Aanganwadi and stoppage of Special Nutrition Programme at some places, security of girl students going to schools and colleges, bonded labor, lack of infrastructure in primary schools and social boycott of Scheduled Castes in Sangrur, Punjab. While dealing with cases of custodial deaths and police encounters, the Commission stressed that the police force should abide by the law of the land and recommended monetary relief to the next of kin of the victims in some cases. On the 28th November, 2014, the Commission had a meeting with NGOs. The representatives of the NGOs raised several issues like exclusion of Scheduled Castes from benefits of natural resources, lack of basic facilities in Scheduled Caste habitants, segregation of Scheduled Castes students while service the mid-day meal in schools, discrimination in allotment of land to persons displaced after acquisition of land for a dam, excesses committed by the police, problems of human rights defenders, non-registration of FIR by the police, mental health, road safety, child beggars and drug addiction in Punjab. The issues which arose from the Public Hearing and interaction with NGOs were discussed with the senior officers of the Governments of Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. The Government of Punjab explained that in the year 2014, more than 500 Kgs. of heroine was seized and 1300 cases under the NDPS Act were registered. The functioning of ICDS, MNREGA, Public Distribution System, Mid-Day Meals, Right to Education, lack of infrastructure in schools, Right to Health, availability of potable drinking water and jail reforms were also discussed. The Commission made some suggestions for improving the governance and the functionaries of the State Governments promised to consider the suggestions and take every possible step to improve the functioning of the various social welfare schemes.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 09:57:08 +0000