Question : DEVELOPMENT OF TRIBAL AREAS

(a) whether the Government has constituted several commissions/committees from time to time specially for identification of tribal areas of the country and for developing them;

(b) if so, the details of the commissions/committees constituted for the purpose during the last 3 years and the current year;

(c) the progress made with regard to developing areas identified by them along with the time-limit fixed in this regard; and

(d) the details of the various laws notified by the Government for the tribals/tribal areas?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA)

(a): Though the Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes Commission have been constituted in the years 1960 and 2002 under Article 339 (1) of the Constitution, these were not specially for identification of Tribal Areas.

(b): No such Commission/Committee was constituted during the last 3 years and the current year.

(c): Does not arise, in view of (b) above.

(d): In accordance with the constitutional provisions, the legislature has made certain laws for safeguarding the interest of Scheduled Tribes:-

(i) The Schedule Caste & Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

(ii) The Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996.

(iii) The Scheduled Tribes & Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

(iv) The Right to Fair Compensation & Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation & Resettlement Act, 2013.