Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The Coordination Committee of the Tribal Organizations of Assam (CCTOA) on Monday constituted a Consultative Group to examine and suggest measures on the recommendations of the Group of Ministers (GoM) regarding the inclusion of six communities in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list of Assam.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the CCTOA core committee held today. The newly formed Consultative Group comprises noted administrators, legal experts, public representatives and social leaders with long experience in tribal affairs and governance.
Suhas Chakma, Member of the Core Group of NGOs Human Rights Defenders in the National Human Rights Commission, was appointed Chairman of the 10-member committee. The other members of the panel comprise Kulaswami Laduary, IAS (Retd.); Prafulla Kumar Hajuary, ACS (Retd.); Jiten Bargayary, ACS (Retd.); Tankeswar Rabha, CEM, Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council; Dharmsing Teron, Former MLA and Former Chairman, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC); Elwin Teron, Chief Adviser to the CEM, KAAC; Kharsing Teron, Adviser to the CEM, KAAC; Sabdaram Rabha, Senior Advocate, Gauhati High Court; and Bilash Chandra Doley, Retired Joint Director, Audit (Local Fund).
Aditya Khakhlari, Chief Coordinator, CCTOA, said that the Consultative Group will hold its first meeting on December 21, 2025. The meeting will deliberate on the GoM's recommendations and prepare a considered opinion to safeguard the constitutional and socio-political interests of existing tribal communities in the state.
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