NCSC summons Collector for delaying compensation

After the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act was passed in 2015, it became mandatory for officials of district administration to provide relief materials, to victims of atrocities against Dalit community, which were earlier recommendatory or voluntary in nature.

Based on the Amendment Act NCSC had summoned the officials of Madurai district administration who failed to fulfil their duties. Highly-placed sources with NCSC said that after the Amendment Act was passed, 12 Dalit men were murdered in Madurai district in 2016 and till August 2017, but the benefits had not reached any of the Dalit families. 

The post Dalit murder scenario is appalling as even the officials attached to District Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department are not aware of the provisions of the new Amendment Act. According to the new Amendment Act, immediately after a Dalit is murdered, a sum of Rs 4,12,500 along with required groceries for three months and a pension of around Rs 11,500 should be given to the kin of the murdered Dalit person. 

Similarly, the officials should also distribute 3 cents of land to the kin if they are in villages, 2 cents if they are in urban areas and 1.5 cents if they reside in an area belonging to the corporation. The officials should also take steps to give preference to construct houses for the kin under any of the housing schemes, to provide agricultural land of two acres for the kin and also recommend for government job for any one of the family members. 

Also, the Ambedkar Foundation in New Delhi is distributing fund of Rs 5 lakh to the family of Dalits, who were murdered and to avail of the fund only the officials had to send a recommendation letter to the foundation. The officials at Madurai had not given any beneficiary measures for the kin of the family members in the last 18 months. 

After the Collector and SP were served summon orders to appear before the NCSC at New Delhi officials attached to District Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department rushed to receive documents from families of murdered Dalit men. Officials contacted kin of 12 Dalit men who were murdered in the last 18 months. 

Pandiraj, member of District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee, and Evidence, NGO based at Madurai, helped the officials. families. Out of 12 families, eight arrived at the Collectorate and documents were verified for six families.