Central govt sets up Committee of Secretaries to safeguard interests of SC communities

Hyderabad : On the directions of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Committee of Secretaries has been constituted under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary to examine the administrative steps that can be taken to safeguard the interests of Scheduled Castes communities, like the Madigas and other such groups, who have represented that they are not evenly getting their due share of benefits.

The Committee comprises Secretaries of Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Department of Legal Affairs and Department of Social Justice and Empowerment.

The first meeting of Committee of Secretaries is fixed for January 23. The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment will provide necessary secretarial support to the committee.

Government of India has been in receipt of representations from State Governments including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka for sub-categorization of SCs, including the Madiga community, on the grounds that the benefits of reservation and welfare/developmental schemes meant for Scheduled Castes are not percolating evenly among the Scheduled Caste communities.

The matter has been placed before various courts of law and is at present under consideration of a 7 judges bench of the Supreme Court in the Civil Appeal No. 2317 of 2011.

Keeping in view of the above, a Committee of Secretaries has been constituted under the chairpersonship of Cabinet Secretary to examine the administrative steps that can be taken to safeguard the interests of the Madiga and other similarly placed communities. The committee will comprise Secretaries of Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Department of Legal Affairs and Department of Social Justice and Empowerment.