New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS): Within hours of its release, the Ministry of Social Justice Thursday withdrew a press release from the government's official website about its decision to increase the minimum amount payable to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe victims of atrocities by 150 percent, apparently due to the code of conduct in force for assembly elections.

An official told IANS that the press statement had been withdrawn from the Press Information Bureau website lest it is construed as a violation of model code of conduct by the Election Commission, though it contained information about government notification issued in December last year.

The government, he said, did not want to take any chances though amendments made to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, 1995, were notified on Dec 23, 2011.

The government release had said that with the amendment coming into force, the minimum relief payable to victims has gone up from Rs.20,000 to Rs.50,000.

"According to the amendments, the existing rates (between Rs.20,000 to Rs.250,000) of relief to the victims of atrocity, their family members and dependents have been increased by 150 percent (to between Rs.50,000 to Rs.500,000)," the release had said.

The release said it is the first time that the scale of relief has been revised since the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules were framed in 1995.