The Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes came down heavily on the state government on Wednesday,alleging that the government was bypassing constitutional provisions and denying the scheduled castes their rightful due during allocation of development funds and reservations in jobs. PSCSC Chairman Naranjan Singh,while addressing a gathering here,urged the Punjab DGP to review all cases of atrocities against Dalits and take action against erring police officers. Singh,along with Dalip Singh Pandhi,member of the commission,was here to preside over a seminar of the Dalit community. Singh expressed his concern over the low conviction rate in cases registered under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the state. Pandhi added,The commission has powers to take action against officers who try to suppress the rights of the weaker sections. Such officials should mend their ways or the commission will be forced to ask the government to remove such officers from service. Principal Secretary T R Sarangal said there were adequate laws to prevent atrocities against the Dalits,and there was a need to bring awareness among the poor people on their rights. Former MLA Tarsem Jodhan said that there was a huge gap between the laws and the implementing agencies,which was the main reason for social and economic exploitation of the downtrodden. He claimed that 50,000 families in the state did not have shelter,from which one could well judge their condition of living and the functioning of the government. Buta summons Kapurthala DC,SSP JALANDHAR: Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes,Buta Singh,has summoned the deputy commissioner and SSP of Kapurthala on February 12 in his office at New Delhi for a meeting to explain as to what action has been taken on a complaint addressed to the commission on the alleged infringement of the rights of Joga Singh,sarpanch of Mansoorwal Bet village. The commission has taken cognizance of a complaint sent by Bholath MLA Sukhpal Khaira who had alleged that the said sarpanch,despite being duly elected and having majority in the gram panchayat,was being victimised by Akali workers and was not allowed to function.
