Constitute house panel to take up tribal status for Chopans with GoI: Tarigami

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5 Dariya News (Tariq Bhat)

Jammu , 26 Mar 2013

The CPI (M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has suggested the Legislative Assembly to constitute a House Committee (HC) to take up the issue of granting tribal status to Chopan (Shepherd) community.Speaking on the demand of grants for Sheep and Animal Husbandry departments in the Legislative Assembly on Saturday last, Tarigami said that a resolution to grant Tribal Status to Chopan community was passed in the state Legislative Assembly 2010 but the Centre has not taken any cognizance of that resolution so far. He said granting Tribal Status to Chopan Community is a long pending genuine demand which needs a sympathetic consideration. “The same community in our Jammu pision has already been granted this status and there should be no discrimination as far as the status community living in Kashmir is taken into consideration.”He said there is s significant contribution to the state economy from the Sheep and Animal departments and both the sectors have a vast potential to grow in view of the most favourable geo-topographical conditions of the state.  Tarigami said that there is great demand for mutton and milk, for which the state is largely dependent on the import of these products, putting a question mark on the policy planners and the concerned scientists.He called for maximum exploitation of the great and extensive economic and employment potential in these sectors. The CPI (M) MLA also stressed for pragmatic welfare measures for sheep breeders, Gujjar and Bakerwal communities and urged for eliminating exploitation of middlemen in their activities.