We only wants permanent solution to ST issue: BJP

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, March 2: The BJP Assam Pradesh has claimed that the party is not involved in any politics on the issue of according ST status to the six ethnic groups of the State, rather it seeks to solve the problem once and for all.

Talking to newsmen in the city today, State BJP spokesperson Rupam Goswami, party’s ethnic cell convener Lakshya Konwar and media  panelist Dayanda Borgohain said: “We only want a permanent solution to the problem of ST status to the Morans, Mottucks, Chutias, Koch-Rajbongshis, Tea Tribes and Tai Ahoms. It is the Congress that has been doing politics on the issue over the years.”

The three BJP leaders said: “The February 29 order issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for the setting up of a committee headed by its Special Secretary Mahesh Kumar Singh to recommend modalities for granting ST status to the six communities is a follow-up action of the step taken by Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jewel Oram in mid-2015 by forming a task force for the modalities. The task force did seek suggestions from all States of the country on the formation of the new modalities for granting ST. Even as the last date of sending suggestions was December 31, 2015, Dispur hasn’t submitted any suggestions for reasons best known to it. It was clearly mentioned while seeking suggestions from the States for the modalities that if any State failed to send its suggestions within the stipulated time, the Centre would go ahead on its own.”

The committee to be headed by Mahesh Kumar Singh, according to the three BJP leaders, will have members from the Register General of India (RGI), the Joint Secretary of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the Joint Secretary NE, the Centre’s representative for peace talks as a special invitee and the Director NE as the member secretary.

The three BJP leaders said: “What the Centre is doing is doing now is the actual road to the solution to the problem once and for all. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi jas criticized Prime Minister rendra Modi for delaying the process. What Gogoi did over the past 15 years was just misleading the six communities on the issue. The Congress government did precious little to solve the problem in the past 15 years.”