Jaipur, July 22 -- Chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Tuesday said cases of atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) have declined significantly over the past two-and-a-half years, attributing the improvement to measures taken by the state government. He said registered cases fell by nearly 28% in 2025 compared to 2023. Chairing a state-level vigilance and monitoring committee meeting, Sharma directed officials to take stringent action against those committing crimes against SC/ST communities while encouraging initiatives that promote social harmony. Sharma said the disposal of cases has also improved considerably. Nearly 68% of cases are now being disposed of within the prescribed 60-day period, compared to just over 35% in 2023. Sharma said SC/ST Cells have been established in 45 police districts, while the remaining six police districts will soon have dedicated cells. He instructed the police and prosecution departments to work in close coordination to improve conviction rates in atrocity cases. He also directed district- and sub-division-level vigilance and monitoring committees to hold regular meetings to strengthen social harmony, with panchayat-level meetings to be organised twice a year. Sharma said the officials to closely monitor all registered cases and launch a special drive to dispose of matters pending for more than one year. He said investigations into sensitive cases should be conducted with urgency and seriousness, and financial assistance due to victims under the Act should be released promptly from the registration of the FIR until the final disposal of the case in court. The meeting reviewed the implementation of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, progress in pending investigations, timelines for filing charge sheets, and the disbursement of financial assistance to victims. Officials also reviewed the functioning of the assistance portal, real-time monitoring of complaints received through helplines, help desks and online portals, and the status of pending cases....