Sunday, February 7, 2010

[ZESTCaste] State data on atrocities against SC/ST has discrepancies: Wasnik

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/State-data-on-atrocities-against-SC-ST-has-discrepancies--Wasnik/576582

State data on atrocities against SC/ST has discrepancies: Wasnik

Express News Service Posted online: Sunday , Feb 07, 2010 at 0241 hrs
Gandhinagar : Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul
Wasnik said on Saturday that discrepancies have been found in the
records maintained by the Gujarat government and the Central
government related to atrocities registered against the members of
Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes(ST) in the state.
After his meeting with the state officials in Gandhinagar on Saturday,
the minister said while addressing mediapersons that the Central
government would crosscheck the data with the state government.

He added: "We have observed that figures of atrocities registered
against the SC/ST persons in the state vary with our records. We are
doing a tally with the government and finding out the reasons behind
it."

Contrasting the Gujarat government's claim of having no manual
scavengers in the state, the Union Minister said scavengers from
Gujarat were rehabilitated through various self-employment programmes.
Wasnik revealed that nearly 149 manual scavengers out of 8,740 (as per
the state government data) are yet to be rehabilitated under the
scheme.

Wasnik told The Sunday Express that as the instances of manhole
workers' deaths were reported in the state, the Centre has asked the
state government to provide social security to workers.

He said: "A Central committee has also spoken to Mallikarjun Kharge,
the Minister of Labour and Employment, to look into the death of
manhole workers. As for manual scavenging, the state needs to look
into the matter deeply."

Wasnik, who is also a member of the special committee set up by the
Centre to work on the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 and the
Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989, came up with some solutions to the
problems faced by sanitation workers in Gujarat.

He said the state government has been asked to update workers' details
including their number, education, work profile, income and death on
the social justice and empowerment department's website.

According to Wasnik, the Central government is working to start a
toll-free number for the workers of the backward communities to
address their problems. The government would also introduce subjects
of civil rights and atrocities against backward communities for public
service examinations and train the workers on the laws related to
them.

The committee members including Wasnik and Additional Secretary of
Social Justice and Empowerment Sangita Gairola

appealed to the state government to sensitise policemen and civil
servants towards the atrocities against the backward class workers.


------------------------------------

----
INFORMATION OVERLOAD?
Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to ZESTMedia-digest@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/

PARTICIPATE:-
On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com

TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:-
If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to ZESTCaste-subscribe@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/

Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
ZESTCaste-digest@yahoogroups.com
ZESTCaste-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ZESTCaste-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

No comments:

Post a Comment