Ex-minister may head panel for Scheduled Castes

KATHERIA, A BJP MP FROM AGRA, WAS DROPPED FROM THE CABINET LAST JULY OVER A CONTROVERSY OVER HIS MARK SHEET

The government is likely to appoint former junior HRD minister Ram Shankar Katheria as the chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes after seven months.

Katheria, a BJP MP from Agra, was dropped from the Union cabinet last July following a controversy over his mark sheet and a hate speech against Muslims. The party, however, said he was relieved of his charge for Uttar Pradesh elections.

The commission, a constitutional body to safeguard interests of the community, has no chief or members at the moment. It is headed by a chairperson and has a vice-chairperson and three members and can ask the state governments to provide relief to Dalits. The dysfunctional commission has come under focus in wake of violence against Dalits in Saharanpur district.

According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau, in 2015, the highest number of atrocities against Scheduled Castes were reported from Uttar Pradesh — 8,357 cases. The conviction rate for such crimes was an abysmal 27.6% nationally.

PL Punia, a Congress Rajya Sabha MP and previous chairman said, “Houses of Dalits were burnt, they were injured but yet police arrested them. No compensation has been given. The commission could have taken the lead in getting justice for the community.”

Punia also slammed the government for the delay in reconstituting the commission saying all “applications and complaints received by the Commission are pending for months.”

Social justice minister Thawar Chand Gehlot said the commission was being reconstituted and names sent for President’s approval. The gazette notification will happen soon.

Giving his reasons for the delay, the minister said, “Election code of conduct was in effect due to the state assembly elections. The process began after March.”

The code of conduct came into force in January 2017 while Punia’s term ended in October last year.