Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Civil Supplies, Choudhary Zulfkar Ali informed the House that the funds received from Ministry of Tribal Affairs under the Centrally sponsored schemes viz Special Central Assistance Tribal Sub Plan and Article 275 (1) of the Constitution of India are released in favour of District Development Commissioners for the sectors/habitations that will bridge the critical gaps in development and enable quantifiable benefits to Schedule Tribes population of the State. He informed that the funds are released keeping in view the backwardness and schedule tribe population of the area.The Minister was replying to a question by Ranbir Singh Pathania in Legislative Assembly. He said that the matter is under active consideration of the government to involve all the other tribes in separate Advisory Board other than that for Gujjar & Bakerwal.
He, however, said that there was no separate Directorate for implementation of various schemes meant for the uplift of all 12 notified Scheduled Tribes including Gaddi/Sippi, Bot, Purigpa, Brogpa, Balti and Changpa Tribes.The Minister said the Gujjar & Bakerwal constitute about 90% of the total ST population of the State since this Advisory board is constituted with name & style as “J&K State Advisory Board for Development of Gujjars and Bakerwals” in the year 1974-75. The Board is exclusively represented by members of Gujjar & Bakerwal community. Regarding nomination of members from other tribe, he said the government may take some alternate steps to give representations to them adding that one such measure could be formulation of Tribal Council in the State.