Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: The Assam government confirmed on Thursday that there is no set deadline to grant Scheduled Tribe status to six local communities. Tribal Affairs Minister Ranoj Pegu told the Legislative Assembly that the power to make these changes sits solely with the Central Government and Parliament.
MLA Chakradhar Gogoi pressed the minister for answers regarding the delay. Pegu explained that the state completed its internal work but remains waiting on federal authorities. The Centre requested a detailed report to ensure that adding these groups does not hurt the rights or reservation benefits currently held by existing tribes.
State officials formed a Group of Ministers to study the potential impact. The assembly approved this group's report during its November 2025 winter session. Now, the state is moving to send those recommendations to Delhi.
Pegu maintained that the process must follow strict constitutional rules before any final decision. He noted, "The process of forwarding the GoM's report and recommendations to the Central Government is currently underway." Despite the lack of a clear timeline, the minister expressed optimism that the state will eventually meet the demand.
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