Gorkha sub-community leaders meet Union minister, seek ST status

A delegation of various Gorkha sub-community leaders today met Union minister S S Ahluwalia, who represent Darjeeling in the Lok Sabha, to press their demand that these sub-communities be granted the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Ahluwalia said a committee was looking into the matter and was likely to submit its report to the government soon.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi had constituted the committee and people should keep faith in him to deliver justice," the BJP MP told reporters after his meeting with the delegation that was led by Kanchan Gurung, a Gorkha leader.

The 11 Gorkha sub-communities have been demanding the ST status, which will help them get a host of government benefits.

The BJP-led central government had constituted a committee in April, 2016 to look into the demand and put forward recommendations.

Ahluwalia had last month written to Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, urging him to take appropriate measures to grant the ST status to the 11 Gorkha sub-communities.