Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy on Friday hailed the National Conference of Chairpersons of the Committees of Parliament and State/UT Legislatures on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as a historic occasion for the state and the country.
The two-day conference, being held in Bhubaneswar on August 29–30, was inaugurated by Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla here on Friday. The conference has brought together chairpersons and members of SC/ST committees from nearly 20 states, along with representatives of the parliamentary committee, including Union Minister Faggan Singh Kulaste, and senior officials of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Padhy said the prime objective of the meeting is to deliberate on the recommendations, studies, and implementation status of SC/ST committees across different states, while also creating a platform to exchange best practices and strengthen welfare initiatives.
This is the first time in 31 years that Odisha is hosting such a national-level event, she noted, adding that Odisha, being a tribal-dominated state, holds special significance as both the Chief Minister and the President of India hail from the state.
“The government is committed to the upliftment of SC and ST communities, from the grassroots to higher levels,” she said. The Speaker underlined that the conference serves as a vital forum for dialogue, exchange of experiences, and collaborative strategies to ensure inclusive growth.
“The aim is to empower all sections of society, particularly Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, socially, economically, and politically,” she added. Meanwhile, delegates gathered from various states also termed the conference a significant event for discussions over various issues related to SC/ ST and other Backward communities of the country.
Highlighting the importance of the discussions, Azad Samaj Party MP Chandra Sekhar on Friday noted that the Speaker himself placed six to seven key issues before the conference, including education, prevention of atrocities, healthcare, land rights for the landless, and higher education.
On the other hand, Rajasthan Congress MLA Ghanshyam Mahar, who attended the conference, stressed the urgent need for concrete decisions at the conference to ensure that constitutional rights and welfare measures for marginalised groups are properly implemented.