Tribune News ServiceSrinagar, July 31
Jammu and Kashmir will have separate directorates for tribal affairs while 100 primary schools located in Gujjar and Bakkarwal populated areas are being upgraded to middle level in current year.
This was decided at the 31st meeting of the State Advisory Board for Development of Gujjar and Bakkerwals chaired by the Chief Minister here last evening. This follows demand of members of the board for the establishment of a separate tribal directorate in the state to monitor works taken up under tribal sub-plan and special central assistance. The members felt the Social Welfare Department, hitherto looking after tribal affairs, was too burdened with other activities to devote time to tribal issues.
The department to be created will be headed by a director who would be moving with darbar every six months, besides two deputy directors, one each for Kashmir and Jammu provinces, the meeting was told. The department will function under the overall supervision of the secretary, social welfare.
The Chief Minister said his government had given higher administrative responsibilities to the members of all communities even as he pledged to undo the injustices meted out to Gujjars and Bakkerwals in the past. He said responsible positions in administration had been assigned to the members of weaker sections of the society like Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. He said the state had for the first time a district development commissioner from the Scheduled Caste community today.
Azad said Gujjars and Bakkerwals had suffered neglect in the past and he wanted to undo the injustice. He said the community had played a great role in economic and social life of the state but had suffered much during the long turmoil as its members could not go to the highland pastures to feed their livestock, the mainstay of their economic activities. He assured the community the coalition government would do everything possible to ensure that they marched ahead.
