HYDERABAD: After reviewing the steps taken for the welfare and protection of SCs and STs in Telangana, the members of National Commission for SCs (NCSC) who are in the city for a two-day visit, said that the social welfare residential schools in the state should serve as a model for the country. The chairman of the commission Ram Shankar Katheria, who along with the other members of the body, held a state-level review meet with Telangana Chief Secretary Shailendra Kumar Joshi, DGP M Mahendar Reddy and several SC associations in the state, applauded Telangana for being among the only three states in the country to implement Scheduled Caste Sub Plan Act.
However, he pointed that out of Rs14,375 crore fund allocated by the state for SC community under the Act, only Rs 7,170 crore has been spent for welfare. NCSC also pointed deficiencies in land distribution schemes and the drawback of state in identifying land grabbing cases. The Commission also pointed that the literacy rate in the community at state level is low. Katheria further announced that a circular with Supreme Court judgment regarding the death of manual scavengers will be issued to the senior officers in the state. NCSC asserted that their should awareness among stakeholders and public about the rights of manual scavengers.NCSC also directed the government to see to it that adequate compensation is paid to atrocity victims.