GUWAHATI: Replying to a question by Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita on the status of awarding ST status to the six ethnic communities of Assam, the minister of Welfare of Plain Tribe & Backward Classes (non-BTC), Ranoj Pegu, said, "The Assam government has time and again sent its recommendation to the Centre. The matter of providing ST status to the six ethnic communities—Ahom, Moran, Motok, Chutiya, Koch-Rajbongshi, and Tea Tribe—is under consideration by the Centre."
"We had also formed a committee to oversee the issue in the Sarbananda Sonowal-led government under the leadership of Himanta Biswa Sarma. The committee has discussed the issue with several ethnic communities in the state," he added.
When asked if the Kalita community would get ST recognition, Pegu said, "The Centre has set some guidelines for communities to be considered as Scheduled Tribes (ST). We have already requested the Assam Institute of Research for Tribals and Scheduled Castes to find out if or not the Kalita community fulfils the criterion."
"To this, the institute said that if the Centre simplifies the criteria required to be fulfilled for getting recognised as Scheduled Tribes (ST), then an ethnic report of the Kalita community can be prepared," Pegu added.
