GUWAHATI, Feb 25 � Demanding the right over land, right to education and an effective PDS system in the tribal areas of the State, the Assam Janajati Adhikar Mancha will stage sit-in demonstration on March 1 at Dispur Last Gate.
�The condition of the majority of tribal people of the State has not improved in the past several decades and they are still facing the problems of lack of land, unemployment, poor education etc.,� said president of the Mancha Purna Boro, while addressing the media today.
�A considerable number of the tribal people of the State do not have land pattas. Though they have occupied land for building houses and cultivation, they do not have ownership over that part of land. Moreover, those who have been living traditionally in the forest areas should get the right over land according to the law. Thus, the process of giving the right over land should be accelerated in the tribal areas including the BTAD area,� he said.
Demanding food security for the tribal population, the Mancha said that the PDS system should be strengthened without delay and the beneficiaries should get rice at the rate of Rs 2 per kg. It also alleged that the MGNREGA scheme of the Government has not been properly implemented in the tribal areas. �There are some areas in the BTAD, where the job card holders are not allowed to keep their cards with them. We demand corruption-free implementation of the MGNREGA scheme,� he mentioned.
The tribal body demanded more budgetary allocation for education in tribal areas and a separate directorate for improvement of the standard of education. It also asked for the revival of pre-matric scholarship scheme and a hike in the amount of the college-level scholarship. �The educational scenario in tribal areas is very dismal. The vacant posts in the schools of the autonomous council areas should be immediately filled up and teachers� training institutes should be established in those areas to train the educated unemployed tribal youths,� he added.
The Mancha also demanded provincialisation of non-provincialised schools in tribal areas.
