Commission asks Karnataka to act fast on fake caste certificates

"District caste certificate verification committees are taking a long time to verify them, and suggested a timeframe of 15-30 days to complete the exercise," the Commission's Chairman P L Punia said.

Punia said those who secured jobs by producing fake caste certificate should be dismissed and action should also be initiated against those who issued them. He said the conviction rate vis-a-vis cases of atrocities on members of SC is a low nine per cent in Karnataka and the state government needs to take steps such as training prosecuting officers to improve this percentage. In some states, it's as high as 50 per cent, Punia said.

He suggested making the Social Welfare Department as a nodal department for implementing all SC plans to ensure that the benefits directly reach their members. Punia, who addressed a press meet along with the members of the Commission after a three-day visit to the state, praised a "lot of good work" done by successive
Karnataka governments for the welfare of SCs, and said in cases of atrocities on SCs, the victims and their families were disbursed relief sums promptly.

The Commission is also happy with the hostels provided to SC students, particularly girls, and infrastructure facilities for them.