Hyderabad : Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday directed officials to release funds through the green channel to provide compensation to victims of sexual assault from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities.
He chaired a meeting of the state-level vigilance and monitoring committee on the implementation of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, at the secretariat.
The CM said this was the first time since the formation of Telangana that a state-level high-powered committee meeting on the implementation of the Act had been held under the chairmanship of the CM. The meeting reviewed the implementation of the Act, registered cases, investigations, trial proceedings, disposal of cases, and assistance and rehabilitation provided to victims to date.
Dalits accounted for 31% of the beneficiaries under the Indiramma Housing Scheme, while 17% of the houses were sanctioned to STs. The CM said former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had distributed assigned land titles (pattas) covering 25 lakh acres to SCs and STs, earning the affection and trust of these communities. SC and ST Welfare minister Adluri Lakshman Kumar, who attended the meeting, later said it assumed significance as the last such high-level meeting was held in undivided Andhra Pradesh on Feb 11, 2013.
He said several welfare schemes had been introduced for the upliftment of SC and ST communities, including the supply of fine rice and nutritious food to Dalits and tribals.
Highlighting the govt’s welfare initiatives, he said funds were being allocated in proportion to population demographics. Emphasising that education is key to social transformation, he said the problems of marginalised communities could not be resolved without quality education and urged parents to encourage their children to pursue education and sports. Revanth asserted that the govt was responding to incidents of sexual assault on humanitarian grounds.