New Delhi: The Centre on Monday asked states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi to submit action taken reports by November 10 on the recommendations of Bezbaruah Committee report on measures to safeguard the persons from the Northeast against alleged discrimination.
The directive came at a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami with the representatives of all the states.
The Home Ministry officials told the states to send a compliance report by November 10 as it has to submit an affidavit on implementation of the recommendation of the Bezbaruah Committee report before the Delhi High Court on November 12.
The M P Bezbaruah committee, which was set up in the wake of the killing of Arunachal Pradesh youth Nido Tania in Delhi in February 2014, submitted a 82-page report to the Home Ministry which gave a grim picture of the nature and extent of discrimination and attacks against the North East community in other parts of the country.
It provides a comprehensive list of short-term and long- term measures that must be taken by the government to counter discrimination against the community.
It also finds that Delhi was the worst offender among the metro cities when it comes to racial discrimination against people from the Northeast.
The Committee suggested that either a new law should be promulgated as directed by the Delhi High Court or the Indian Penal Code should be amended, fast-track courts and special police squads should be constituted besides others.
The Ministry had in September wrote to all states asking them to implement the recommendations of Bezbaruah Committee report that also said immediate measures should be implemented between six months and one year; short-term measures within one or two years; and long-term measures in two years.
The Home Ministry has also sent a copy of the report to all the concerned ministries, including Ministry of Human Resource Development, Law Ministry and others, to comply with the suggestions. (PTI)