Panel seeks enhanced relief, counselling for SC/ST victims

An internal government task force has proposed several changes to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, including increasing relief and rehabilitation amounts to keep up with inflation. The task force also recommended introducing counseling for both the accused and the victims, as well as their dependents.

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) separately suggested amendments to the Atrocities Act, specifically focusing on protecting the livelihoods of Scheduled Tribe communities who are displaced from their land and engaged in lengthy court disputes. The NCST also called for measures to combat the registration of "counter FIRs" against individuals who report atrocity cases to the police.

In their July 31 report submitted to the government, the task force, led by the Secretary of Social Justice and Empowerment, drafted suggested amendments to the rules under the SC/ST Act. These amendments, last updated in 2018 following widespread protests from SC and ST communities regarding a Supreme Court ruling, also include provisions for establishing special relief and rehabilitation cells in States and Union Territories.

The task force suggests raising the relief and rehabilitation amounts, currently ranging from ₹85,000 to ₹8.25 lakh, in line with inflation. In 2016, these amounts were set at this range. Additionally, the task force recommended that FIRs and chargesheets in such cases be sent to relevant government officials within 24 hours.

The drive to initiate discussions on potential amendments is occurring as the anti-reservation movement, known as the "reservation hatao andolan", gains momentum to also address other concerns faced by the general category in India, such as the alleged "misuse" of the Atrocities Act. While some activists argue that the law encourages false accusations, a government official stated that the recommendations have been sent to the Social Justice Ministry for review and will be made public if accepted.

Concerns have been raised about the lack of support for tribals who lose their livelihoods during court battles over their land, and the possibility of local officials intervening by allowing tribals to use their land while the legal dispute continues. Another issue highlighted is the need to address the registration of "counter FIRs" and implement measures to verify the proper procedures during the investigation and closure of atrocity FIRs.