Lok Sabha nods Bill to include Tripura’s Darlong community in ST list

Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda said the amendment has been brought because the people of the same community are residing as different sub-tribes in the hilly area and are excluded from the list for a long time.

New Delhi: Lok Sabha passed the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2022, for the inclusion of the Darlong community in the list of STs in Tripura.

The bill seeks to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 for the inclusion of a certain community in the list of Scheduled Tribes in relation to the State of Tripura.

The Bill proposes the "Darlong" community as a sub-tribe of "Kuki" in the list of Scheduled Tribes. Moving the bill in the House, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda said that the Narendra Modi government is committed to developing tribal areas and the welfare of the tribal community.

He said the amendment has been brought because the people of the same community are residing as different sub-tribes in the hilly area and are excluded from the list for a long time.

He said the Prime Minister has stressed that without ensuring the welfare and development of the Tribal population and tribal areas, the development of the nation cannot be realized.

He informed the House that during 2014-15 where the allocation was only to the tune of Rs 16, 111 crores, it was increased to Rs 87, 585 crores in 2021-22.

Mr Munda also said the IT Ministry has recently initiated a scheme with an outlay of around Rs 7,000 crore to enable broadband and 4G connectivity to all villages under the ST component.

Talking about educational facilities in tribal areas, the Minister said that earlier in 2014, only Rs 278 crore was earmarked for Eklavya Model Residential Schools. Now the budget has been enhanced to Rs 1,418 crore.

Tapir Gao of BJP, while responding to the allegations of Congress members, said that Congress had not done for the welfare of Scheduled Tribes, and the Narendra Modi government will fulfil it. He congratulated Prime Minister Modi and Minister of Tribal Affairs Munda for giving recognition of Tribal Status to the Darlong community, which comprises only 2.15 per cent of the total population in Tripura.