National Commission for Scheduled Tribes says creamy layer provision not needed in ST quota

Bhopal: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) on Friday said exclusion of `creamy layer’ from the reservations for the STs is not called for. “There is no requirement (of creamy layer provision in the reservations for the scheduled tribes), and no such subject is being discussed by the commission. A lot is yet to be done for the welfare of STs,” NCST chairman Nand Kumar Sai said at a press conference in Bhopal. He was replying to a question about whether the creamy layer provision should be introduced in the ST reservations. The NCST will be writing to the states to speed up the working of state-level screening committees which take final decision on the validity of caste certificates, he said. “We have told officials of the Madhya Pradesh government to speed up the working of state-level screening committee. We are going to write to all the states to dispose of pending cases of doubtful caste certificates,” he said. [caption id=“attachment_4180063” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Nand Kumar Sai. Image credit: www.elections.in[/caption] NCST deputy chairperson Anusuiya Uikey said the commission is going to file a petition in the apex court, seeking early disposal of cases related to fake caste certificates which land in high courts. “(Often) Accused persons seek stay orders from the high court in cases of fake caste certificates. We will file a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a directive for high courts that such cases be disposed of at the earliest,” Uikey said. To a question, Uikey alleged that there is “rampant corruption” in the implementation of welfare schemes in Madhya Pradesh’s tribal areas. “A huge amount of money has been spent for the welfare and development of tribal areas. But there are no water, school, health facilities for them. There are no teachers in tribal schools. Where is this money going?” she asked. “There is rampant corruption in the implementation of schemes for the tribal community. (Guilty) Officials at the lower level should be removed,” she said. Earlier in the day, the NCST heard complaints of members of tribal communities from across the state. Sai said the NCST has received several complaints from the state about lands owned by members of tribal communities being sold illegally. There are also complaints that general category candidates were appointed to posts reserved for the STs, he said. “We have forwarded all these complaints to the state government and directed officials to sort out these issues at the earliest,” he added. To a question, the NCST chairman said that “tribals are Hindus”. “There is no controversy. The tribals are Hindus. They worship nature as depicted in the Rigveda. So tribals are true Hindus,” he said.