Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Assam’s government remains unable to set a deadline for bringing plains tribal Autonomous Councils under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Tribal Affairs Minister Ranoj Pegu delivered this news on Thursday, July 23, during the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly Budget Session. The announcement came in response to a starred question from Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi on the session's 10th day.
Pegu confirmed that the proposal for the Rabha, Tiwa, Mising, Deori, Sonowal Kachari, and Thengal Kachari councils currently sits with the Central Government. The process is complex. It requires Parliamentary approval. The state government cannot dictate the pace of these legislative maneuvers. "The process of bringing any area under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution is entirely linked to the Central Government and the Parliamentary process. Therefore, the State Government cannot prescribe any specific timeline for its completion," the minister stated.
The same logic applies to the push for Scheduled Tribe status for six other groups. The Moran, Motok, Tai Ahom, Chutia, Koch-Rajbongshi, and Tea Tribes remain in limbo. Parliament holds the final say. Pegu explicitly noted that the state is not considering ST status for the Kalita and Nath Yogi communities.
State officials have moved on one front. They sent a proposal to include the Modahi community in the list of Plains Scheduled Tribes. This request went out via Letter ECF No. 232944/34 on January 10, 2024. Regarding financial aid provided to the councils since 2016, Pegu directed members to Annexure A. This document breaks down the annual allocations, administrative costs, and development spending for the councils.
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