Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes Act, 2004
No: 5 Dated: Apr, 01 2004
The Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes Act, 2004
(Punjab Act No. 5 of 2004)
An Act to provide for the constitution of the Commission for Scheduled Castes in the State of Punjab with a view to protecting and safeguarding the interests of the members of the Scheduled Castes in the State of Punjab, to recommend remedial measures for their welfare and development and for the matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Punjab in the Fifty-fifth Year of the Republic of India as follows :-
1. Short title and commencement. - (1) This Act may be called the Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes Act, 2004.
(2) It shall come into force at once.
2. Definitions. - In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, -
(a) "Chairperson" means the Chairperson of the Commission;
(b) "Commission" means the Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes constituted under section 3;
(c) "Government" means the Government of the State of Punjab in the Department of Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes;
(d) "Member" means a member of the Commission and includes the Chairperson and the Member-Secretary;
(e) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(f) "Scheduled Castes" means such castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within such castes, races or tribes as are deemed under article 341 of the Constitution of India to be Scheduled Castes; and
(g) "section" means section of this Act.
3. Constitution of the Commission. - (1) The Government shall, by notification in the official Gazette, constitute a body to be known as "the Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes" to exercise the powers conferred on and to perform the functions assigned to it under this Act.
(2) The Commission shall consist of, -
(a) a Chairperson, who shall be an eminent person belonging to Scheduled Castes or a retired officer of the Government of the State of Punjab belonging to the Scheduled Castes not below the rank of Principal Secretary, to be appointed by the Government;
(b) not more than three non-official members from amongst the members of the Scheduled Castes, who may be appointed by the Government from amongst the persons of liability, integrity and standing, who have served for the welfare and uplift of the Scheduled Castes :
Provided that out of the three members, one shall be a woman;
(c) the Director General of Police, Punjab, shall be the ex-officio member;
(d) the Director, Local Government, Punjab, shall be the ex-officio member;
(e) the Director, Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes, Punjab, shall be the ex-officio member; and
(f) one Member-Secretary, to be appointed by the Government from amongst the retired or serving officers of Indian Administrative Service or the Punjab Civil Service belonging to Scheduled Castes, not below the rank of an Additional Secretary.