Expressing concern over delay in bringing a national policy for tribals by the Tribal Affairs Ministry, a parliamentary panel has sought its expeditious formulation.
The committee has taken serious exception to the casual manner in which its recommendation of collecting details of outcome and assessment of the impact of grants given under Article 275 (1) of the constitution was handled by the ministry.
The committee on estimates of Ministry of Tribal Affairs had recommended that a national policy for Scheduled Tribes be drawn up and specific targets and timelines drawn for socio-economic development of tribal population.
The ministry had informed the committee that the policy formulation was going on through experts and a committee has been formed to process a position paper on socio-economic, health, and educational status of STs and suggest a way forward.
"It is strange that the Ministry of Tribal Affiars, which has been in existence for the last one and half decade, had not bothered to ascertain the status of STs and woke up to the ascertain their status only after the committee's exhortion for expeditious formulation of tribal policy. This reflects poorly on the functioning of the ministry," the committee said in its recommendation.
It noted the ministry had neither given the composition of the committee nor has given the rationale for giving nine months time to process a position paper.
Urging that there should be no further delay in formulation of the policy, the committee also hoped the committee complete the task within the given time.
The committee has also taken serious exception to the "casual" manner in which its recommendations to collect details of outcome of impact of grants under article 275 (1) of the Constitution was handled.
"The committee urges the Tribal Affairs Secretary to personally look into the matter and ensure that appropriate methods and systems are developed to assess the impact of the funds given by the ministry under different schemes," the Committee on Estimates (2013-14) said.
