States » EastPosted at: Oct 22 2026 7:08PM


Jharkhand Congress announces November 29 meeting on SC, ST issues

Ranchi, Oct 22 (UNI) Former Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee working president Bandhu Tirkey on Thursday announced a meeting on November 29 to discuss issues and demands concerning Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhawan, Tirkey alleged that the BJP treated SC and ST communities as vote banks and that their constitutional rights were being undermined.
He claimed that budgetary allocations for their development had been reduced, funds under the Tribal Sub-Plan had been cut, and the Centre’s share of pre-matric and post-matric scholarships for ST students was not being released to states on time.
Tirkey said 34 schemes were being implemented for the welfare and development of SC and ST communities, but alleged that central government policies were preventing students from receiving their entitlements and slowing social, economic and educational progress. He also claimed that allocations for these communities had been reduced by 50 per cent compared with the Congress-led government.
Alleging violations of the Forest Rights Act and the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) in BJP-ruled states, Tirkey cited bauxite mining projects in Sijimali, Kutrumali and Niyamgiri. He claimed the projects violated legal safeguards applicable to areas covered under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution.
Referring to Niyamgiri, he said the proposed mining activities ran contrary to a 2013 Supreme Court ruling upholding the role of gram sabhas in deciding whether to allow mining in the area.
Tirkey also alleged that the national commissions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were not functioning effectively and had failed to adequately assess the communities’ social, economic and educational progress.
State Congress vice-president Rajesh Gupta, also known as Chhotu, and party spokesperson Sonal Shanti were present at the press conference.
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Tags: #Jharkhand Congress announces November 29 meeting on SC# ST issues
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