Two Bills seeking to modify the list of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh were passed in Parliament on February 8.
The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2024′ were passed in the Lok Sabha. The two Bills were tabled and passed in the Rajya Sabha earlier this week.
The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024 seeks to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes regarding Andhra Pradesh to include Bondo Porja, Khond Porja and Konda Savaras communities in the list of ST.The other Bill –the Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2024–seeks to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 to modify the list of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in relation to Odisha. Under it, four communities of primitive tribes–Pauri Bhuyan, Chuktia Bhunjia, Bondo and Mankidia will be included in the ST list.
The Parliament also passed the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024, on February 8, following its passage in the Lower House. The Bill had already passed in the Rajya Sabha earlier this week.
Making observations in the Lower House on the Bill, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said, “This Bill will streamline the appointment of key officials of the State Pollution Control Board. The amendments will ensure ease of doing business with unnecessary penalties being removed.”
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on February 5. The Bill seeks to amend the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. The Bill seeks to decriminalise several violations. The Budget Session was scheduled to conclude on February 9 but has been extended by a day.
(with inputs from ANI)
