Centre actively considering ST status for 6 Assam communities: Minister Oram

New Delhi, Jun 4: Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram has stated that his Ministry is seriously considering the issue of granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the six communities in Assam.

“My Ministry is positively working on the issue of giving ST status to the six communities in Assam. However, no final decision has been made yet. We are looking into all aspects of the issue,” Oram told The Assam Tribune here.

He said that the Registrar General of India (RGI) is reviewing and providing recommendations on proposals for new inclusions or modifications to the ST lists.

“We have also received several recommendations and suggestions from the Assam government as well,” he said.

Six communities in Assam – Tai-Ahom, Matak, Moran, Chutia, Koch-Rajbanshi and Adivasi-tea tribes – have been demanding Scheduled Tribe status for a long time.

In February, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey said that the recommendation for the inclusion of Tai Ahom, Chutia, Matak, Moran, Koch Rajbongshi and Tea Tribes under the ST category has been received from the Government of Assam.

Uikey said that the Government of India on 15.6.1999 (further amended on 25.6.2002 and 14.9.2022) 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 proposals are taken as per these approved modalities,” Uikey has said.

Meanwhile, Anuchuchit Jati Sangrami Yuva Parishad on Tuesday appealed to the Prime Minister for a Central investigation into the alleged corruption in SC Welfare Directorate, Assam.

A Correspondent