Una, September 25 – Additional Deputy Commissioner Mahendra Pal Gurjar on Thursday chaired meetings of two important committees formed at the district level on caste discrimination and disability protection. He reviewed the effective implementation of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the National Trust Act and directed the concerned departments to take prompt action and coordinate with each other.
The first meeting was of the District Vigilance and Awareness Committee constituted under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Following the meeting, the Additional Deputy Commissioner stated that the purpose of this Act is to prevent caste discrimination and provide justice and relief to victims.
He informed that as of August 31, 2025, 67 cases have been registered in the district. Of these, 52 are pending trial. Furthermore, court verdicts have been issued in four cases, and sections of the SC/ST Act have been dropped after investigation in four cases, while police investigations are ongoing in seven cases.
He explained that under this Act, in addition to providing punishment, legal protection and rehabilitation relief to victims under various sections, ranging from ?100,000 to ?825,000. The first installment is paid upon filing an FIR, the second installment upon presentation of the case in court, and the remaining amount upon the verdict.
The Additional Deputy Commissioner urged departmental officials to continuously monitor the progress of cases so that victims receive timely relief and justice.
The second meeting was held by the District-Level Committee, constituted under the National Trust Act, 1999, where the legal protection of persons suffering from autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and multiple disabilities was discussed in detail. It was informed that under this Act, legal guardians are appointed for individuals after they attain the age of 18, either for a permanent or limited period. To date, 113 permanent legal guardians have been appointed in the district.
The Additional Deputy Commissioner directed all the departments to strictly follow the provisions laid down under both the Acts and not to show any laxity in providing immediate relief and legal protection to the victims and disabled persons.
Additional Superintendent of Police Surendra Sharma, Deputy Superintendent of Police Dr. Vasudha Sood, District Welfare Officer Awas Pandit and officers from various departments were present in the meetings.