The group of ministers (GoM) constituted by the Assam government will submit their final report by October 30 regarding granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six ethnic tribes of the state.
The GoM on Friday held a discussion with leaders of the six ethnic communities which have been demanding ST status for years.
Finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who heads the GoM, told media-persons after the meet that the State government is hopeful of a lasting solution to the vexed issue as “60 per cent of the issues have been resolved”.
“It was a fruitful discussion and we are confident that a lasting solution will emerge out of it. Many issues have been resolved and this will have a significant bearing on the final outcome. Our mandate was to submit the final report to the Centre which we will do on or before October 30,” The Assam Tribune quoted Sarma as saying.
Sarma said that the representatives of the six communities – Koch-Rajbongshi, Tai-Ahom, Moran, Muttock, Chutiya and Adivasis– made clear their stands during the meet.
He said that there would be no more formal discussions on the issue and that the Centre would act on the basis of the final GoM report.
“Of course there can be informal parleys over some issues but we have discharged our responsibility and if the Centre is satisfied with our report, it can take a decision immediately. If it wants to have further legal opinion on our recommendations, it would do that,” said the minister.
The State government had in January 2019 formed the GoM to recommend measures for protection of rights of existing tribal communities as well as to decide on the benefits to be given to new Scheduled Tribes.
The GoM was constituted on the direction of the Centre following introduction of the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) in Rajya Sabha.