Guwahati: Opposition MLAs walked out of the assembly on Tuesday over the delay in ST status for six communities.Congress, Raijor Dal and TMC members staged the walkout after tribal affairs (plain) minister Ranoj Pegu failed to give a deadline for granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Tai Ahom, Chutia, Koch-Rajbongshi, Moran, Matak and Tea Tribes communities.Leader of the opposition Wajed Ali Choudhury raised the issue through a Special Mention and questioned the delay. “Why is it taking so long to grant the ST status to the communities, which is a long-pending demand? Announcements and assurances have been made by the govt repeatedly, but no concrete results have come out.”Pegu said a group of ministers was formed following the Centre’s advice and submitted its report to the assembly. Copies were also provided to the organisations concerned.He said several amendment proposals, both supporting and opposing the recommendations, were later received. The group did not accept changes to the core recommendations, including the proposal to create two ST categories — ST(P) and ST(H) — and views on quotas.Pegu said suggestions from Moran and Motok organisations on ethnographic details were accepted, and the relevant chapter was revised with inputs from the Assam Institute of Research for SC and Tribals.The CM approved the revisions, and the report will now be sent to Delhi, he said. The GoM’s interim report, submitted last Nov, recommended a three-tier reservation system to protect existing tribal quotas.
