Benefits to 1984 Sikh Riot Victims
As per records, in the country as a whole 3325 persons were killed in 1984 riots, out of which, 2733 persons were killed in Delhi alone (as per Ahooja Committee Report).
The Union Government had set up following two inquiry commissions:
(i) Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission
(in 1985); and
(ii) Justice Nanawati Commission (in 2000)
(i) The Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission submitted its report to the Government of India in August, 1986. As per recommendations of the Commission, following action was taken:
(a) Delhi Administration had appointed following three Committees:
(i) Kapur-Mittal Committee - to inquire into the delinquencies and conduct of Police officers of Delhi Administration
(ii) Jain-Agrawal Committee - to look into the allegations of grave offences committed during the riots and to give such directions to the prosecuting agency as the facts of each would warrant.
(iii) RK Ahooja Committee - to find out the exact number of deaths that took place during the riots in Delhi.
Recommendations of all above three Committees were accepted and implemented.
(b) Schemes for self-employment with Government assistance were implemented by the Delhi Administration.
(c) The financial reliefs granted to the victims earlier were revised.
(d) The Commission had also made some observations, i.e. both quantitative and qualitative expansion of Delhi Police, etc., which were taken into account by the Government.
(ii) The Justice Nanawati Commission had submitted its report on 09.02.2005. After considering the recommendation of Commission, the Government had, vide letter dated 16.01.2006, sanctioned a ‘Rehabilitation Package’ with total financial outlay of Rs.714.76 Crore. These amounts are reimbursed to the State Governments only after receiving Utilization Certificate from them. Till date, a sum of Rs. 534.20 crore has already been reimbursed by this Ministry to the concerned State Governments. This package has been duly closed with effect from 30.06.2012. The Government has, on 16.12.2014, sanctioned to grant an additional amount of Rs. 5.00 lakh to the Next of Kin of the persons, who died during 1984 riots. Action against some political leaders and police personnel were also initiated, as per the recommendation of Justice Nanawati Commission.
As per the Constitutional provisions, ‘Police’ & ‘Public Order’ are State Subjects and therefore, such action is required to be taken by the concerned State Governments.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary in a written reply to a question by Shri Avinash Rai Khanna in the Rajya Sabha today.
****
KSD/PK/BK/AK