Hyderabad,March,17,2026: A seven member public hearing panel has urged the Telangana government to take immediate action on reported atrocities against Dalits and Adivasis in the state. The panel wrote to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy requesting a meeting of the State Level High Power Vigilance and Monitoring Committee under the SC ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.
The request follows a public hearing held on January 25 where more than 30 cases related to Dalit and Adivasi atrocities were reviewed. Survivors and victims presented their accounts during the hearing.
The panel said the testimonies highlighted serious gaps in the implementation of the SC ST Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989. According to the panel members, several victims reported negligence by police and revenue officials while handling atrocity cases.
Victims alleged delays or refusal in registering FIRs and pressure to compromise with accused persons from dominant castes. They also reported failure by authorities to apply relevant provisions of the law, weak investigations and delays in filing charge sheets.
The panel further stated that victims were not receiving compensation and relief payments mandated under the rules of the Act. It cited information obtained through the Right to Information Act from the Scheduled Castes Development Department dated January 23 2026.
According to the data, in 2024 no atrocity victim received interim relief within the mandatory seven day period. The panel also noted that no public servant was booked under Section 4 of the Act for wilful neglect of duty.
The information also showed that legal aid facilities were not provided to victims in 27 districts. In addition, no cases were registered under Sections 4 and 5 of the Act during the year.
The panel said the absence of mandatory review meetings at the state and district levels showed serious gaps in the implementation of the law and pointed to institutional failures.
It also pointed out that the State Level High Power Vigilance and Monitoring Committee was reconstituted under the chief minister’s chairmanship through a government order issued on February 27 2025. However, the committee has not held any meeting so far.
Under the law, the committee is required to meet at least twice every year in January and July to review implementation of the Act.
The panel demanded strict enforcement of timelines for FIR registration, investigation, trial and compensation payments. It also called for action against negligent public servants and the provision of legal aid for victims.
In addition, it urged the government to establish District Level Vigilance and Monitoring Committees across Telangana within two months and to provide training for police, revenue and judicial officers to handle atrocity cases sensitively.
The panel also sought faster implementation of the Forest Rights Act 2006 to prevent arbitrary evictions and protect Adivasi land rights.
A detailed analytical report based on the testimonies collected during the public hearing will be submitted to the chief minister.
