Union Min in RS acknowledges Bengal's recommendation of inclusion of communities in ST list

Darjeeling: In an answer to questions raised by TMC MP (Rajya Sabha) Shanta Chhetri, Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Renuka Singh Saruta, acknowledge that the Government of West Bengal had recommended the inclusion of tribes of West Bengal in the Scheduled Tribe list.

MP Shanta Chhetri had raised questions whether the Government had received a proposal made by Government of West Bengal vide their letter dated February 28 February 2014? Whether the matter is pending since 2014? Whether the Union Government would make urgent intervention to examine the above so that the communities can avail benefits for their development? And the reasons for unprecedented delays?

Answering these questions, Tribal Welfare Minister Saruta stated that the West Bengal Government had recommended the inclusion of the tribes in the ST list.

Answering the other questions, the Minister stated: "The Government of India on 15.6.1999 (further amended on 25.6.2002) has laid down the modalities for deciding the claims for inclusion in, exclusion from and other modifications in Orders specifying Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes lists. As per the modalities, only those proposals which have been recommended and justified by the concerned State Government/ UT Administration and concurred with by Registrar General of India (RGI) and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) are to be considered and legislation amended. All action on the proposal is taken as per these approved modalities."

"West Bengal Government has done its job by recommending and also sending recommendations. However the RGI has not concurred," said MP Chhetri.

Recently Gaurav Gogoi, INC MP from Assam had filed an RTI requesting the status of the Assam Government's recommendation of including Gorkha sub-castes of Assam in the Scheduled Tribe list.

In an answer to this Minister Saruta had stated: "Minister of Tribal Affairs has not received any proposal from Government of Assam on Gorkha Sub-castes of Assam."