SC judgement proving a hurdle: Govt

A Supreme Court judgement on limiting the reservations for the Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC) and others communities within 50 per cent has been impeding the efforts to grant ST status to the six ethnic communities of the State. The State Government is leaving no stone unturned to facilitate ST status to these ethnic groups, which include the Tai-Ahoms, the Morans, the Mataks, the Chutiyas, the Koch-Rajbongshis and the Teagarden and Ex-teagarden communities. The State Government would soon be able to provide a white paper on the issue.Replying to a question from Ramendra Narayan Kalita (AGP) Minister for Welfare of the Tribals, SC and Other Backward Classes Pramilarani Brahma made the above statements in the State Assembly today. She argued that because of the above judgement of the apex court, even the unanimous resolutions of the State Assembly urging the Central Government to grant ST status to these groups failed to prevail upon the Centre. She further said that faced with such a situation, the Chief Minister had now proposed development councils for these ethnic groups.The State Government has written nine letters to the Union Government on the issue and even suggested amendment to the country’s Constitution to accommodate these ethnic groups in the ST category. A sub-committee is now examining the issue and soon the Government would be able to provide the members of the Assembly with copies of a white paper on the issue, she said. She also told the House that the State Government would consider the issue of according ST status to the plains tribes in the hill areas and vice versa.Besides Kalita, Girindra Kumar Barua and Josheph Toppo of the AGP, Ananta Deka of the CPI-M, Akan Bora of the Congress and Kamal Singh Brahma of the BPF also took part in the discussion on the issue putting supplementary questions.The Minister also told the House in reply to a separate question put by Jyotiprasad Das (AGP) that elections to the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council would be held after the Assembly endorsing the amendments proposed to the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council Act. The amendment bill is placed before the House during its current session, she said.
THE ASSAM TRIBUNE; By A Staff Reporter GUWAHATI, March 26