Effective awareness campaigns and proactive measures led to a decrease in the number of cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by six per cent this year compared to last year, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said on Saturday.
Also, the areas prone to violence shrunk to 368 in 2024 from 445 in 2021, and this was less than 19 per cent, he said.
Addressing a meeting of the state-level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee of the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department constituted under his chairmanship, at the Secretariat here, Stalin said shortly after the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government took up the reins in 2021, the committee was constituted and three meetings were held. This panel had 7 MPs belonging to the Adi Dravidar and Tribal communities as members.
His government hiked the amount of compensation given to victims of violence from ₹8 lakh to ₹12 lakh from 2022 and in the last four years, 421 people of violence-affected families have been provided jobs and 649 people have been granted pension. About ₹207.26 crore has been given to 17,098 people as compensation, the chief minister said.
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During the current year, as part of a new initiative, an assistance centre to report atrocities, help in registration of cases, know the current status of cases, provide remedies and extend legal aid was started and it was functioning well.
"According to the 2011 census, the literacy rate of the people in Tamil Nadu is 80.09 per cent, while the literacy rate of the Adi Dravidar and Tribals is 73.26 per cent," he said, and added efforts on providing them education and imparting skills enhanced their capabilities for employment.
Also, 120 village knowledge centres were being set up at an estimated cost of ₹117. 27 crore to conduct seminars and training, Stalin said, and listed out the various measures being taken by the state government to improve the socio-economic prosperity of the community.
"Also, to improve the livelihood of women through basic income generating activities, the subsidy extended through TAHDCO has been increased from ₹2.50 lakh to ₹6 lakh from 2023 and ₹8.25 crore subsidy has been given to 140 beneficiaries this year," Stalin said.
Later, the chief minister virtually launched vehicles and inaugurated buildings for police and fire and rescue services departments worth ₹100 crore.
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