Hailing from the ‘musahar’ caste, Sarpatti Devi, a resident of Satanpur village under Jansa police station area — about 30 km from Varanasi, left her house yesterday and walked barefoot to the Varanasi Commissionerate. “Two years ago, three musahar youths along with my only son Nakhru and two orphan nephews — Kallu and Niboolal — were arrested by Badagaon police in connection with the muhnochwa (mouth-scratching menace). They were innocent and let off then. But later, they were framed by police in at least six criminal cases at Badagaon and Rohania police stations,” Devi said breaking into tears.

Her plea for justice moved Singh, who promised her prompt justice. “This case accentuates the pathetic state of musahars, who are deprived of schemes meant for the welfare of the marginalised sections. Her matter will be taken up on a priority basis,” he said.

Varanasi SSP S B Shirodkar left the venue in a hurry after assuring free legal aid to Devi.

“We will definitely help her in getting justice,” he said. He refused to comment when reporters asked what the police and administration was doing for the last two years.

Earlier in the day, Singh reviewed the performance of poverty alleviation and special schemes for the SCs in Varanasi, Jaunpur, Ghazipur and Chandauli districts.

Schemes targeting SCs are not being implemented seriously, right from selection of beneficiaries to disbursement of funds, he said. “Both the bureaucrats and panchayats are to be blamed for this.”

“Not only UP, but in entire country, all schemes spanning from Indira Awas Yojna, Rural Employment Guarantee to educational scholarships for SCs are not being properly executed,” Singh said.

“While the Centre is not giving the entire fund approved by the Parliament to SCs, the grants ultimately coming to the state is also not being fully utilised,” claimed the NCSC chairman. To illustrate the point, Singh pointed to the high dropout rate of SC students after matriculation, nearly 75 per cent, as scholarships were not reaching them. Even on the law and order front, cases under the SC/ST act were only being registered in incidents of rape and murder, while other atrocities went unreported.

“Out of the 80 cases registered in Varanasi last year, the guilty were punished in just seven cases. In Jaunpur, out of 124 cases, only in 12 were penalised,” Singh said.

Singh further added: “Even funds meant for poverty alleviation are going into the hands of Naxalites.”

“I will review the performance of all SC-oriented schemes in the state and submit a report to the President soon,” said Singh.