State data on atrocities against SC/ST has discrepancies: Wasnik

Gandhinagar, February, 8 : Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik said on Saturday that discrepancies have been found in the records maintained by the Gujarat government and the Central government related to atrocities registered against the members of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes(ST) in the state.

After his meeting with the state officials in Gandhinagar on Saturday, the minister said while addressing mediapersons that the Central government would crosscheck the data with the state government.

He added: “We have observed that figures of atrocities registered against the SC/ST persons in the state vary with our records. We are doing a tally with the government and finding out the reasons behind it.”

Contrasting the Gujarat government’s claim of having no manual scavengers in the state, the Union Minister said scavengers from Gujarat were rehabilitated through various self-employment programmes. Wasnik revealed that nearly 149 manual scavengers out of 8,740 (as per the state government data) are yet to be rehabilitated under the scheme.

Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik said on Saturday that discrepancies have been found in the records maintained by the Gujarat government and the Central government related to atrocities registered against the members of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the state.

After his meeting with the state officials in Gandhinagar on Saturday, the minister said while addressing mediapersons that the Central government would crosscheck the data with the state government.

He added: “We have observed that figures of atrocities registered against the SC/ST persons in the state vary with our records. We are doing a tally with the government and finding out the reasons behind it.”

Contrasting the Gujarat government’s claim of having no manual scavengers in the state, the Union Minister said scavengers from Gujarat were rehabilitated through various self-employment programmes. Wasnik revealed that nearly 149 manual scavengers out of 8,740 (as per the state government data) are yet to be rehabilitated under the scheme.