The long-pending demand of the tribal people living in non-scheduled areas, to include non-scheduled villages, which have over 50% tribal population, in the Fifth Schedule, will materialise soon, Paderu MLA K. Bhagyalakshmi has said.
Speaking at a meeting, organised by the ITDA at Paderu in the district on Wednesday, Ms. Bhagyalakshmi said the inclusion would enable them to get the benefits being given to their counterparts, living in scheduled areas, under various government schemes.
Araku MLA Chetti Phalguna explained that tribal families, living in non-scheduled areas, were comparatively backward in development.
Presiding over the meeting, ITDA Project Officer Ronanki Gopalakrishna said that the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution provides for special rights to the tribal people. Special funds were being allotted for the welfare of tribal people living in scheduled areas. He said that proposals would soon be sent to the government for inclusion of non-scheduled villages, which have more than 50% tribal population, in the Fifth Schedule.
Mr. Gopalakrishna directed the Mandal Development Officers and the Tahsildars concerned to hold gram sabhas in the eligible non-scheduled villages and send the gram sabha resolutions to his office. The resolutions would be placed in the Tribal Advisory Council meeting, to be held on July 23, for a final decision on the issue.
Paderu Sub Collector V. Abhishek, Narsipatnam RDO Anita, Assistant Project Officer V.S. Prabhakar and Mandal Development Officers and Tahsildars of non-scheduled mandals participated in the meeting.
