Patna: Chief minister Nitish Kumar chaired the state-level vigilance and monitoring committee of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989, on Thursday and directed officials to dispose of cases under it speedily in a stipulated time.

He also ordered compensation to victims on the lines of disaster relief.

Nitish also asked his senior officials to issue show-cause notices to district magistrates who have failed to hold the mandatory four district-level vigilance and monitoring committee meetings in a year.

He also directed that the meetings be included in the annual confidential report (ACR) of the DMs.

"All cases registered under SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act should be analysed on the basis of their categories and the action taken in them should be monitored. Express action in the courts should be ensured in the cases in which charge sheets have been filed. Officials should ensure that investigation in the cases registered under the act is not delayed," Nitish told the senior officials at the closed-door meeting held at the CM secretariat.

He added that investigations in the cases registered under the act should be completed within the stipulated time and asked director-general of police (DGP) K.S. Dwivedi to review the issue. He also directed that the cases should be disposed of within a timeframe.

"The DGP, home department principal secretary, CID and IG (weaker sections) should sit together to discuss and find out the reasons behind the delay in pending cases," the CM said.

Nitish also directed the revenue and land reforms department to conduct a survey to find out how many Mahadalit people in the state do not have residential land, and also review the land purchase policy.

Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, SC/ST welfare minister Ramesh Rishideo, transport minister Santosh Nirala, building construction minister Maheshwar Hazari, MP and Lok Janshakti Party leader Chirag Paswan, several legislators, chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and other officials were present on the occasion.

The state-level meeting by the chief minister comes just a few days after several parts of the country saw social unrest over purported order by the Supreme Court to dilute the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and the central government's silence over the issue. Violent agitations were held in Bihar also by various SC organisations and the Bhim Army.