Photo Courtesy: nenews
Guwahati: Assam cannot set a deadline for granting Scheduled Tribe status to six local communities. Tribal Affairs Minister Ranoj Pegu told the state assembly on Thursday that the power to change the tribal list sits with the Centre and Parliament. The state has already finished its homework. Now, it waits.
Pegu addressed questions from MLA Chakradhar Gogoi regarding the status of the long-running bid. The Centre wants to ensure that adding these new groups does not hurt existing tribal rights, reservation benefits, or other constitutional safeguards. The state formed a Group of Ministers to study those exact concerns.
The cabinet approved that report during the November 2025 Winter Session. State officials are sending the final recommendations to federal authorities for review. Pegu made it clear that the state finished its required tasks. He said, "The final decision now rests with the Central government."
The process must follow strict constitutional rules and need parliamentary approval. While Pegu declined to give a date for a final decision, he remains hopeful the government will resolve the issue once the legal hurdles clear.
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