Bengal to form Scheduled Caste Advisory Council soon

The West Bengal government will soon set up a Scheduled Caste Advisory Council, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced here on Monday.

Briefing newspersons after a meeting of the Tribal Development Council, Banerjee said the new body would be set up for development of the Scheduled Caste population in the state and function on the lines of the existing tribal advisory council.

There are 66 assembly seats in Bengal reserved for the Scheduled Caste candidates.

Banerjee said her government would renovate around 1,000 Hindu cremation grounds every year. "In all, we will renovate around 5,000 such cremation grounds," she said, adding the state government has already developed around 2000 Muslim burial grounds.

Banerjee said her government has published books in the Alchiki script used by the Santhal tribe. A 25,000 word dictionary in Alschiki script is also ready.

--IANS

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