State SC panel to visit Chamba soon

A preparatory meeting regarding the upcoming visit of the Himachal Pradesh State Scheduled Castes Commission to Chamba district was held on Monday under the chairmanship of Commission Member Advocate Vijay Dogra at the Deputy Commissioner’s office.

Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Repaswal, Superintendent of Police Abhishek Yadav and District Welfare Officer Chaman Sharma were present at the meeting.

Dogra said under the leadership of commission chairman Kuldeep Kumar Dhiman, the commission would soon undertake a visit to Chamba district. He also highlighted that under the leadership of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the state government has been ensuring the effective implementation of various schemes and programs for the welfare of Scheduled Castes.

During the visit, the commission will review various departmental schemes and conduct spot visits across the district, he said. Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Repaswal presented a detailed report on the various welfare activities being undertaken for the Scheduled Caste community in Chamba.

Superintendent of Police Abhishek Yadav informed the meeting that 19 cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act are currently under trial in the courts.

Dogra directed the local police administration to submit a list outlining the reasons behind the registration of cases under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

During discussions on cases under the Act, departmental officials informed that relief amounts have been provided to the affected individuals in accordance with the prescribed rules.

Dogra also instructed the District Welfare Officer to provide a detailed list of beneficiaries under various departmental schemes and Scheduled Caste-dominated Gram Panchayats under the Scheduled Caste Development Programme.

The meeting also included an elaborate discussion on organising meetings during the commission’’s visit with various departmental officers, Panchayati Raj representatives, representatives of non-governmental organisations and Scheduled Caste institutions. Plans for spot visits across different subdivisions were also discussed.