RANCHI: Following a detailed discussion on the illegal acquisition of tribal land, the Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) has constituted a sub-committee to settle tribal land related issues and appointed Bandhu Tirkey, Deepak Birua, Bhushan Tirkey, Chamra Linda and Stephen Marandi as its members.
The sub-committee will not only investigate the illegal acquisition of tribal land but will also submit a report on the measures which could be taken to check further acquisition of tribal land.
TAC is a constitutional body formed under the Fifth Schedule to deal with welfare and advancement of scheduled tribes in states. It consists of 15 MLAs from ST assembly seats and three members who are experts on tribal affairs. TAC is headed by the incumbent CM as per provisions of Schedule 5 of the Constitution.
During the second TAC meeting headed by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, a discussion related to atrocities on tribals also took place, where it was said that a total of 373 matters related to the issue are still pending, while 176 matters were reported in this year till the month of July. Soren directed to resolve all the matters related to atrocities on tribals.
“TAC is trying to assemble the links related to the emancipation and development of tribal communities,” said Soren. The State Government I committed towards the betterment of tribal communities, he added.
It was informed in the meeting that a Tribal University is being established Jamshedpur with the aim of saving and developing tribal language-culture-knowledge etc. Soon the university will be run by making an Act.
With the objective of promoting entrepreneurship among the people of the tribal community in the State, the committee recommended to provide facilities as per the facilities provided in levy and taxes etc by the Government of India to the tribal states under Schedule 05 of the Constitution in North Eastern states of
the country which are covered under Schedule 6 of the Constitution.
Other decisions included meeting of TAC members with the prime minister under the leadership of its chairman and Chief Minister Hemant Soren, life time validity of birth certificate issued to the tribals, sending a proposal to the center through Governor on the issue of Sarna Code in the census, formulation
of law on tribal human trafficking, stress on tribal development, review of cases of tribal languishing in jail for a long time and proper security to tribal religious land.
BJP legislators – Babulal Marandi, Neelkanth Singh Munda and Koche Munda, who are also members of TAC, did not attend the meeting.
Discussion on a total of 11 agenda took place during the meeting.