Maharashtra government bodies slammed for anti-Dalit violence

Criticising the Maharashtra government's home, law and judiciary as well as rural development departments for lack of co-ordination, Maharashtra EGS minister Nitin Raut said here today that there has been an increase in atrocities against Dalits in the state.
After he toured areas affected by caste violence in Maharashtra, he wrote to the Maharashtra Chief Minister yesterday, blaming the state home department for not taking enough steps to ensure law and order as well as punish the guilty.
Raut, who hails from the Vidarbha region and happens to be the Dalit face in the Maharashtra state government, pressed for a special cabinet meeting to discuss the issue of attacks against Dalits.

"A special cabinet meeting should be convened to discuss atrocities against Dalits. The government should take strict preventive measures against such attacks," Raut told reporters.
Alleging that co-ordination between the state's home ministry, the ministry of law and judiciary as well as rural development ministry was not seen in the matter, he said that the Maharashtra government had fallen short when it came to taking preventive measures.
Raut, who claimed that he had raised the issue during today's cabinet meeting said, "All inclusive programmes would be designed to prevent such attacks".
He also said that Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has directed a high-powered committee to hold a meeting to discuss the issue.

The high-powered committee, which would be chaired by the Maharashtra Chief Minister himself includes the state home minister, opposition leaders and an officer of the rank of the Director General of Police.