SC/ST Act may get more teeth

Against the backdrop of Sonia Gandhi-led NAC lamenting poor implementation of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Union Cabinet is likely to consider tomorrow amendments to the law to give it more teeth by providing for harsher punishment.
The amendments seek to strengthen certain existing provisions as also add new offences against SC/ST so far not part of the 1989 law.
Obstructing use of common resources such as wells, grounds and socially and economically boycotting SCs and STs have been included in the list of offences.
While so far denial of voting rights is an offence, there is a proposal that preventing SCs and STs from filing nominations for elections would also be treated as a separate crime.

National Advisory Council had recently lamented that "despite the deterrence assured by the Act, atrocities against these groups continue unabated and legal justice remains out of reach for a majority of victims largely because of poor implementation of the Act."
The Council observed that victims and witnesses confront hurdles at every stage of the legal process - from registration, investigation and charge sheeting, to the trial stage. The conviction rates under the Act remain low.