The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs) (Prevention of Atrocities) {PoA} Act, 1989, extends to the whole of India except Jammu and Kashmir, and responsibility for its implementation rests with State Governments/Union Territory Administrations.
Section 14 of the PoA Act, stipulates specification for each district, a Court of Session to be a Special Court, for speedy trial of the offences under the Act. As per the information available, District Session Courts have been specified as Special Courts in the States/UTs of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Delhi, Lakshdweep and Puducherry.
For accelerating the trial of cases under the PoA Act, exclusive Special Courts have also been set up in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
This Ministry under a Centrally Sponsored Scheme provides Central assistance to the States/Union Territories, inter-alia, towards setting up of exclusive special courts to fast track prosecution of cases under the PoA Act and SC and ST Protection Cells.
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