The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs to submit a report in six weeks on the progress for inclusion of some communities of Koraput and Sundargarh districts in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list of Odisha.
The NHRC passed the order based on a petition and subsequent submissions filed by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy.
Earlier, the NHRC asked the Registrar General of India (RGI), to expedite action in respect of recommendation of the Tribes Advisory Council, Odisha, for inclusion of Putiya, Putia,Dulia, Dhulia, Putiya Paik,Dulia Paik, Dhulia Paik communities of Koraput district and Bhuiyar, Bhuihar, Bhuinyar, Bhuinhar communities of Sundargarh district in the Scheduled Tribes list of Odisha.
In Odisha, the people belonging to these communities are being denied basic necessities, like education, food and shelter due to the fact that they have not been included in the list of Scheduled Tribes by the Government of Odisha, stated Tripathy in the petition.
Putiya, Putia,Dulia,Dhulia, Putiya Paik,Dulia Paik,Dhulia Paik, as sub-tribe of Kotia (ST) in caste hierarchy have not figured in the STs, SCs, OBCs or SEBCs list of Odisha from 2003. As a result of which over 20,000 Putiya people living in the undivided Koraput district are deprived of getting any benefits in terms of reservation, education, health, livelihood and employment. The State Government had recommended the Centre to include the community in the ST list, Tripathy contended.
He requested the commission to intervene into the matter to protect the human rights of the poor people belonging to these communities by including them in the Scheduled Tribes list and provide them benefits of social schemes by the Government of Odisha in the State.