Duties and functions of the Commission

(1) It shall be the duty of the Commission: (a) to investigate and monitor all matters relating to the safeguards provided for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes under the constitution or under any other law for the time being in force or under any order of the State Government and to evaluate the working of such safeguards; (b) to enquire into specific complaints with respect to the deprivation of rights and safeguards of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. (c) to participate and advice on the planning process of socio-economic development of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes and to evaluate the progress of their development. (d) to present to the State Government annually and at such other times as the Commission may deem fit, reports upon the working of those safeguards. (e) to make in such reports recommendation as to the measures that should be taken by the State Government for the effective implementation of those safeguards and other measures for the protection, welfare, and socio-economic development of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. (f) to discharge such other functions in relation to the protection welfare, development and advancement of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes as may be referred to it by the State Government. (g) to enforce effectively the provisions of the protection of Civil Rights Act, 1995 and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. (h) to enforce effectively implementations of various educational and Socio-economic development schemes under Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes. (i) to monitor, evaluate and inspect the various programmes for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes and to issue necessary direction to the concerned. (j) To enforce the reservation for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes in the Government departments and Public sector undertaking and issues necessary directions to the concerned. (k) The Commission shall examine request for inclusion of any class of citizens as Backward Classes and hear complaints of wrong inclusion of any class in the backward class and tender such advice to the State Govt. as it deems appropriate. (l) Any other matter that may be referred to by the State Government or brought into notice of the Commission. (2) The State Government shall cause the reports of the Commission to be laid before the State Legislature along with a memorandum explaining the action taken or proposed to be taken on the recommendations and the reasons for the non acceptance, if any, of any of such recommendations.