TRS govt anti-tribal, trying to use STs as vote banks

Hyderabad: BJP ST Morcha National president Samir Oraon criticised the Telangana State government for not implementing the Central schemes meant for the welfare and development of the Scheduled Tribes in the State. Addressing the media here on Friday, the Rajya Sabha MP said early on, the Congress and Left parties have used the STs as their vote banks leaving their development and progress in the lurch.

However, since the time the BJP has come to power, it has initiated several schemes like PM Awas Yojana, Van Dhan Yojana etc., for the welfare of the STs and other underprivileged in the country.

On the other, the State government in Telangana which had promised to implement 12 per cent reservation has failed to deliver on the same. On top of it, referring to Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's statement on the re-writing of the Constitution, he said, "Currently, reservations could be provided to the STs with just issuence of presidential order. The TRS which is already letting down the STs in the State seems to seek further dilution of the proivisions meant for the development and progress of them," he rued.

Oraon said that the earlier rulers in Jammu and Kashmir had denied the benefits of the constitutional provisions to the youth belonging to the privileged sections of that society. They had worked for their own wellbeing leaving the youth of J&K to fall into the hands of terrorism. Is that what the Telangana government expecting to happen in the State by depriving the STs of their constitutionally provided rights and benefits? he asked.

He alleged that the TRS government in the State was trying to confuse and mislead the ST population in the State. The funds meant for the Tribal Sub-Plan, Tribal Finance Corporation and others have been diverted. The Telangana State government is not doing anything for their progress, instead conspiring and letting them down by misleading them, he accused.

Several schemes are being implemented under Article 217(1) provisions for the development of the STs. The Van Dhan Scheme is being implemented across the country. But, the State government has been depriving the STs in Telangana of their right under the Forest Rights Act, as well as the Community Forest Development Scheme.