Commissions for SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities flag ‘common issues’

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes brought up an instance of officials of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams avoiding notices issued by it by way of getting a high court stay.

At a joint meeting on Tuesday (November 26, 2024), the National Commissions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and Minorities discussed “common issues” they faced, which included officials evading summonses and organisations refusing to follow recommendations by getting stay orders from courts. Some representatives said that this amounted to interfering with the powers of the Commissions to act as a civil court.

Representatives of the National Commission for Safai Karmacharis (NCSK) were also present at the interaction called by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC). NCSC chief Kishor Makwana said all Commissions will soon send a joint memorandum to the government over the issues with recommendations. This will include suggestions to empower the Commissions to enforce recommendations to a certain extent, according to multiple officials who attended the meeting.

At the meeting, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes brought up a recent instance of officials of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) avoiding notices issued by it during a review of the organisation by way of getting a high court stay, one official said.

“How can a court stay mere notices asking them (TTD representatives) to appear and explain themselves? There are a lot of complaints of ST people in the TTD that have to be addressed like partiality, problems with roster implementation, etc. The Commission is also acting as a civil court, the courts must see this and not issue stay orders immediately,” an official who was at the meeting told The Hindu.

Another source said that other Commissions spoke of public sector organisations and banks delaying the implementation of its recommendations in promotions and appointments. “The representatives discussed ways for the Commissions to have more powers to enforce its recommendations to a certain extent at least,” the source said.

National Commission for Scheduled Tribes member Jatothu Hussain said, “All the Commissions put in so much work to investigate, summon officials, pore over documents. But all it ends up yielding is recommendations from us, over which the Commissions should have some power of enforceability.”

Among other issues, the Commissions also called attention to the lack of facilities and flagged infrastructure gaps even as the NCSK stressed the need for it to have a Constitutional mandate like the others so they can have more power to address complaints raised by petitioners.

“The NCSK raised its own issues of not having a strong constitutional mandate like the other Commissions. It raised problems of understaffing, non-appointment of all members and a general lack of facilities and office equipment,” a source said.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the government said, “The objective was to discuss the common issues of all Commissions and to make them more effective so that they can carry out their mandate for betterment of public in an efficient manner.”

While Mr. Makwana called for the joint memorandum to “strengthen the commissions”, National Commission for Minorities chairperson Iqbal Singh Lalpura said, “We may work together, frame joint strategies and find out ways for more effective implementation of schemes.”

Published - November 26, 2024 11:02 pm IST