Bhubaneswar, March 21: The Odisha government has disbursed ₹20.34 crore as compensation to 2,116 victims of SC/ST atrocities from June until now, Minister for ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare, Nityananda Gond, informed the Assembly on Friday.
Responding to a query from Congress MLA Sofia Firdous, the Minister explained that the compensation was provided in accordance with the guidelines set by the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, 1995.
Gond further highlighted the role of the 'SAACAR' online portal (Single Window Application Atrocity Compensation Assistance & Relief), which ensures the timely disbursement of aid to victims. The portal has been operational since October 2020, streamlining the investigation process and ensuring compensation is paid within 21 days.
According to the Minister, among the districts that received the most compensation, Bolangir had 281 victims, Jajpur had 211, Puri had 207, and Cuttack had 202. Other districts with significant compensation numbers include Dhenkanal (130), Ganjam (129), and Bargarh (107). However, no victims from Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts received assistance.
The portal registers all cases directly, with compensation payments made directly to the victims' bank accounts.
