In an initiative to ensure the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Pav, Pabia, Pavia, and Paviya communities of Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai submitted an ethnographic study report to the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs with a recommendation to include them in the list of Scheduled Tribes.
The communities have been waiting for years to obtain Scheduled Tribe certificates.
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A delegation, led by MLA Ram Kumar Yadav, representing the Pav, Pabia, Pavia, and Paviya communities, called on Chief Minister Sai in the Assembly Committee Room on July 22. They expressed gratitude for his thoughtful initiative.
Addressing the delegation, Sai said, “You have waited for so long with the demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes list. The state government has submitted a report with recommendations to the Central Government. We hope for a positive outcome.”
The delegation informed the chief minister that their Scheduled Tribe certificates were issued under the Madhya Pradesh government before bifurcation. However, for the past 22 years, these certificates have not been issued due to spelling errors depriving their children of the benefits meant for Scheduled Tribes and hindering their education.
The representatives reported that the communities have a population of about 22,000 across the state, primarily residing in Chandrapur, Raigarh, Lailunga, Kharsia, Pendra, Marwahi, and Jashpur.
The Tribal Research and Training Institute of Chhattisgarh conducted an ethnographic study of these communities, recommending their inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes list based on characteristic features.
MLA Ram Kumar Yadav praised CM Sai’s move and requested for a piece of land in Raipur to build a community hall. Notably, the chief minister belongs to a Scheduled Tribe community and worked for tribal communities since the beginning of his public life which gave him a deep understanding of their challenges.
