New Delhi, April 1 : Lok Sabha on Friday passed a Bill to include certain tribal comm ties in the list of Scheduled Tribes in four newly-created districts in Uttar Pradesh. The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 28, and passed by voice vote on Friday. The Bill seeks to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) (Uttar Pradesh) Order, 1967 (ST Order) and the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 (SC Order) with respect to its application to Uttar Pradesh. Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda said the Bill seeks to include Gond, Dhuria, Nayak, Ojha, Pathari and Rajgond comm ties living in the districts of Sant Kabir Nagar, Kushinagar, Chandauli and Sant Ravidas Nagar in the list of Scheduled Tribes in the state. Munda, replying to a debate on the Bill, said that the Narendra Modi government is committed to welfare of tribals and has increased budgetary allocation over the years for the welfare schemes of tribals. He said the Bill was brought as it was required after reorganisation of districts. He also said the Bill had nothing to do with the elections in Uttar Pradesh. “The elections are over and BJP has won… this is a routine exercise it had nothing to do with polls,” he said. AO SHK2156
