Guwahati: Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram on Tuesday said the six communities in Assam seeking Scheduled Tribe (ST) status will have to wait longer, as the process of inclusion under Article 342 of the Constitution involves multiple constitutional authorities and cannot be expedited.
Speaking after reviewing the functioning of Assam’s Tribal Affairs (Plain) Department at Koinadhara in Guwahati along with Assam Education and Welfare of Plain Tribes and Backward Classes Minister Ranoj Pegu and senior officials, Oram said the Centre would take a decision only after the prescribed constitutional process is completed.
“The issue of inclusion and exclusion under Article 342 of the Constitution involves a long and well-defined process. It requires recommendations from the State Government, scrutiny by the Registrar General of India, examination by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, and finally consideration by the Central Government. Since several institutions are involved, the process naturally takes time. The Central Government will take an appropriate decision at the appropriate time,” he said.
Oram said the review meeting also discussed issues relating to communities under the Sixth Schedule and assured that the Centre and the Assam government would continue working together to address pending matters concerning tribal welfare.
The meeting reviewed the implementation of several tribal welfare programmes, including Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS), grants under Article 275(1), the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA), the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana, pre-matric and post-matric scholarship schemes, and proposals relating to the inclusion and correction of tribal communities.
The Union Minister said the review assessed the progress of initiatives aimed at improving the socio-economic conditions of tribal communities across the state.
Oram said the meeting examined the functioning of Eklavya Model Residential Schools, including proposals for establishing new schools, and reviewed the progress of Van Dhan Kendras, with discussions focusing on livelihood promotion and marketing support for products made by tribal self-help groups.
He said 490 Van Dhan Kendras had been planned across Assam, of which 350 are already operational.
“We discussed how these centres can be further strengthened so that tribal communities receive sustainable livelihood opportunities and better market access for their products,” he said.
The meeting also reviewed the implementation of the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, under which nearly 27 interventions covering housing, healthcare, drinking water, tuberculosis screening and other essential services are being implemented in tribal villages.
In addition, officials reviewed the implementation of pre-matric and post-matric scholarship schemes for tribal students, discussed the proposed tribal museum to preserve the art, culture and traditional artefacts of Assam’s tribal communities, and examined pending proposals relating to the inclusion and correction of tribal communities under the constitutional framework.