Government denies discrimiting against minorities

HC asks Union education secretary to appear in court on January 27

FROM CORRESPONDENT

Shillong, Jan 13: The Meghalaya government today told the High Court that there is no discrimition in respect of grant to the minorities in the State.

On Wednesday the full bench of the Meghalaya High Court heard the case of the alleged discrimition against the people belonging to Niam Khasi.

The affidavit filed by Warjri stated that a notification dated 21.12.2015 was issued for constitution of a Task Force Committee on minorities.

“We are surprised that the State of Meghalaya has constituted this Committee after 23 years of coming into force of the tiol Commission for Minorities Act, 1992 on 17.05.1992 and that too in the compliance of the aforesaid orders passed by the Court,” the full bench of the High Court said.

On being asked as to whether the Committee has given any interim report, T Dkhar, Chairperson of the Task Force Committee assured the High Court that the report will be filed within three weeks.

In its order the High Court said that after the report is submitted in respect of the tribes as mentioned in the earlier orders, the State Government shall send its recommendation to the Central Government to inform that such tribes have been declared as minorities and therefore, the same benefits of Central and State Schemes of scholarships and other benefits available to the minorities shall also be extended to them.

“The entire exercise shall be completed within a period of eight weeks from the date of receiving a copy of this order,” the full bench today ordered.

The High Court during the hearing on Wednesday was irked at the non-appearance of the Secretary, Union Ministry of Minority Affairs.

The full bench said that they were informed by the Central Government’s counsel that the last order of summoning of the Secretary had already been communicated, but till date, there is no response.

“Thus, we issue a bailable warrant in the sum of Rs. 20,000/- against the Secretary concerned to secure his appearance on the next date of hearing,” the High Court order said.

The Court also directed the warrant to be executed by the Police commissioner, Delhi, to ensure the appearance of the Secretary in the next hearing. The Court also directed T Dkhar, Chairperson, Task Force Committee, to appear in Court on January 27.