Empowering marginalised: Rs 68L relief disbursed in Sirmaur dist

Sirmaur district has disbursed a total of Rs 68.20 lakh in relief to 74 victims across 61 cases under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act over the past four years. This was revealed by Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Verma on Tuesday while presiding over a meeting of the district-level vigilance and monitoring committee.

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Providing a detailed breakdown, Verma stated that between 2022 and May 31, 2025, 71 cases were registered under the Act. Of these, 46 are currently pending in court, while 15 have been successfully resolved. In 2025 alone, compensation amounting to Rs 8.75 lakh has been released to 14 victims. The DC underscored the critical need for timely disbursement of relief to affected individuals in accordance with prescribed norms. She also directed the police department to submit monthly reports of all atrocity-related cases, complete with FIRs and medical records, to the District Welfare Officer for thorough review.

In a separate session concerning the Prime Minister’s New 15-Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities, the DC highlighted that out of Sirmaur’s total population of 5,29,855, the minority community comprises 53,025 individuals, accounting for approximately 10.01 per cent.

During the meeting, it was reported that special schools for children from the Gujjar community in Katapathar and Chhallu Wala have been verified by the Assistant Engineer. The construction of each centre has been approved with an estimated cost of Rs 9.70 lakh, with construction slated to begin once land availability is secured.

The Education Department is also actively implementing scholarship schemes for meritorious students from minority communities. Officials were instructed to ensure that school heads are held accountable if eligible students are denied the opportunity to apply for these scholarships.

The DC said under the enhanced credit support scheme, loans totalling Rs 30 lakh have been provided to six beneficiaries through District and Tehsil Welfare Offices up to May 31 of the current financial year.

In another significant development, during a meeting under the Manual Scavengers Act, 2013, the district administration declared Sirmaur free of unsanitary latrines and manual scavenging. This declaration followed extensive surveys conducted by municipal councils and gram panchayats. The district’s manual scavenger-free status has since been successfully uploaded on the NAMASTE-MIS portal.

Chairing the District Disability Committee meeting, the DC noted that the committee serves as the appellate authority for disputes related to disability certificates. She emphasized the effective implementation of provisions aimed at the rehabilitation and empowerment of persons with disabilities.