NCSC Commission stays evacuation of 15,000 SC/OBC families

Ambala, May 28 (UNI) The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has stayed the evacuation of 6,000 Scheduled Castes and 9,000 OBC families from the Army land known as Mali Parade under the jurdiction of Army Cantonment here.

NCSC chairman Suraj Bhan while talking to press persons today said that these families had settled there to produce vegetables for English forces since 1857. They had been issued notices from the Defence Ministry directing them to vacate the land.

He said that he had written a letter to the Union Defence Minister informing him that forcible evacuation of these families was tantamount to Prevention of Atrocities Act on SCs and STs.

He informed that notices had been issued to the Army and civil authorities for harassing these people, which inturn is the violation of Constitution.

The NCSC chairman said Defence Secretary had sought two months' period to settle the issue in consultation with Haryana government to provide alternate land to the affected families, if the land was vacated for military purposes.

UNI XC DP CH KP2234