Special SC/ST courts to bring down case pendency

State governments have agreed to set up special courts to bring down pendency rate and improve conviction under the SCs and STs Prevention of Atrocities Act.

State governments have agreed to set up special courts to bring down pendency rate and improve conviction under the SCs and STs Prevention of Atrocities Act.

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Official sources in the Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment said that more exclusive courts would be set up and investigation and prosecution machinery strengthened for the purpose.

For this, the ministry will provide Central assistance under the relevant Centrally-sponsored scheme.

Unanimity in this sphere was achieved during a recent meeting of state social justice ministers, in which governments were asked to undertake a thorough review of cases ending in acquittal and take corrective steps.

Subsequently, state governments have agreed to hold meetings of state and district level vigilance and monitoring committees on a regular basis so that cases of atrocities are properly monitored.

Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik will visit states with high incidence of atrocities to conduct a high-level joint review, sources said.

Apart from this, during the meeting it was also assured by the states that they will send their comments on the proposed amendments to Persons with Disability Act by October 15, 2009.

It was agreed that the procedure for providing disability certificates would be simplified and decentralised by all governments before the end of the year.