Parliament approves Tribal Ministers in MP, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh

New Delhi, May 22 (UNI) Parliamentary approval was today accorded to a constitution amending bill that seeks to provide for tribal ministers in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh -- while excluding Bihar from the mandatory provision -- with the Rajya Sabha adopting the measure as passed already by the Lok Sabha.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2006 was adopted in the Rajya Sabha 157-0 with no abstention after a brief and desultory discussion.

Minister of State for Home Sri Prakash Jaiswal informed the House that henceforth it would be mandatory to have tribal ministers in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand where the tribal population was 36.8 per cent and 26.3 per cent, respectively.

Madhya Pradesh, with 20.3 per cent tribals, would continue to have the provision, while Bihar, with 0.9 per cent tribal population, would now not be bound by it -- both states earlier had the provision applicable to them.

Supporting the bill while participating in the brief discussion, Suman Pathak (CPI-M) and Sushila Tiriya (INC) wanted that seats in the Jharkhand should be increased to 150 as the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes from the backward areas have very less representation in the Vidhan Sabha.

In the name of development, the tribals always face displacement.

Rehabilitation policy should be reviewed by the Centre to see that they do not suffer.

UNI BBS RL BD1802