States lag in setting up courts to address SC, ST grievances

States have been slacking in setting up exclusive special courts for trial of cases filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, a year after the amended act made it mandatory to do so, the data from social justice and empowerment ministry states. The ministry recently informed Parliament that only 194 exclusive courts have been set up in 14 states for hearing cases registered under the PoA Act.

States such as Maharashtra and Odisha which have a pendency rate of nearly 90% and 80% have set up only three special courts so far; while Madhya Pradesh has 43, Rajasthan 25 and Gujarat 26 such courts.

Following slow disposal of cases of abuse and atrocity against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the PoA act was amended in 2016, making it mandatory for states to set up exclusive courts and appoint special public prosecutors to try the offences under this act.

Pan India figures show that from 84.1% pendency rate in 2013 the figure has climbed to 87.3% in 2015.

In HP for instance, nine cases ended in conviction in 2013 and 2014, while the pending cases stand at 286 and 246 for these years, while only two reached conclusion in 2015. Similarly, in Maharashtra where 2,064 cases were registered under the act in conjunction with IPC in 2013, only 1,077 cases ended in conviction.