GUWAHATI, Feb 10 - Demanding immediate eviction of all illegal migrants from the protected tribal belts and blocks of the State, the All Assam Tribal Sangha (AATS) has written to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to take steps for immediate implementation of Chapter X of the Assam Land and Revenue (Regulation) Act, 1886.
A 10-member delegation of the AATS met the Chief Minister and submitted a memorandum on the demands of the tribal people of the State. �The Chief Minister has assured us to seriously look into the issues raised by us and make necessary arrangements to redress our grievances,� AATS general secretary Aditya Khaklari told The Assam Tribune.
The AATS also demanded creation of a Boro-Kachari Autonomous Council, issue of land titles to ST forest dwellers, appointment of SC/ST TET-qualified candidates, modification of the office memorandum to implement RVSP Act 2012, creation of new tribal belts and blocks and tribal sub-plan, increase of reservation quota for ST(P) from 10 per cent to 15 per cent.
�Due to non-implementation of Chapter X of the Land and Revenue Act, large-scale encroachment is going on in the protected tribal blocks and belts. The Chief Minister assured us that the State Government would carry out eviction drives to evict illegal migrants, including illegal industries of non-bonafide people. He further assured that land pattas will be given to tribal forest dwellers, and that the matter of granting autonomy to Boro-Kachari people residing outside BTAD is under consideration. The delegation was headed by AATS vice president Dharmendra Deori and general secretary Aditya Khaklari.
The issue related to reservation of ST/ST candidates in the State Government jobs was also raised during the meeting. The Sangha alleged that the reservation policy was being violated by various State Government departments and as a result, eligible SC/ST employees are getting deprived of due promotion.
�No SC/ST candidate has been promoted to the post of Executive Engineer PWD (Civil) in the past nine years. We also informed the Chief Minister that the committee on Welfare of SCs and STs of the Assam Legislative Assembly has already recommended modification of the impugned office memorandum, but the WPT&BC Department is not paying any interest which has affected senior SC/ST candidates,� Khaklari added.
