West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said that all cases slapped against Kurmis by the previous TMC government during their stir will be withdrawn.
Alleging that the previous dispensation did nothing for the Kurmis other than creating divisions within the community, Adhikari said his government would ensure the inclusion of Kurmali and Rajbanshi languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
Kurmali language is spoken by the Kurmi community, residing mainly in the western districts of the state, while Rajbanshi is spoken by the eponymous community in north Bengal.
Attending a Karam festival programme in Purulia district, Adhikari said, "The previous government in West Bengal created divisions among the Kurmis... It never wanted them to stay united. We will, on the other hand, keep all promises made to the community in our 'Sankalp Patra' before this year's assembly elections. We have allocated Rs 50 crore for development of the community in this year's budget and the amount will be enhanced in the coming days."
The Kurmi Development Board will again be made operational soon, he added.
Kurmis had staged road and railway blockades in the western districts of West Bengal during the Trinamool Congress rule seeking Scheduled Tribe status and inclusion of their Kurmali language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, among other demands.
(With inputs from PTI)