Twelve states with scheduled areas including Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have established Tribes Advisory Council (TAC), the Lok Sabha was informed today.
In response to questions on which states have set up/not formed TAC, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Mansukhbhai Vasava also said the central government has "persistently" requested Uttarakhand to constitute the council, but has not received any information from the state in this regard.
Replying to a query on measures taken for welfare of tribals, Vasava said Centre is pursuing an "integrated" approach to enhance socio-economic condition and self-reliance amongst the ST population in the country.
"In accordance with the provision of para 4 (1) of the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution, TAC has been established in states having Scheduled Areas namely Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana. Besides, two other States viz, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, have also set up TAC," Vasava said.
The minister also elaborated "salient features" of the council and informed the TAC shall consist of not more than 20 members of whom three-fourth shall be the representatives of Scheduled Tribes in Legislative Assembly of the state.
It shall be duty of TAC to advise on such matters pertaining to welfare and advancement of STs in the state as may be referred to them by Governor, he added.
"The Governor may make rules prescribing or regulating as the case may be on number of members of Council, the mode of their appointment, the appointment of Chairman of the Council, of officers and servants thereof, the conduct of TAC meetings and its procedure in general and all other incidental matters," he added.
Vasava further said the Ministry, under its special area programmes, provides funds as an "additive to state plan for carrying out skill development and employment-cum-income generation activities".
"The Ministry has impressed upon state government for promotion of need-based integrated livelihood initiatives and skill upgradation of tribals to get them respectable jobs," he said.
Government has launched a central sector scheme 'Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana', the minister said, adding it aims at achieving overall development of tribal people "through convergence of available resources, with an outcome-based approach, monitored by an independent agency".
