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Our Correspondent
Diphu, July 1 (EMN): The All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC) has appealed to the Scheduled Tribes to notify the existence of traditional village councils to the govt. and utilise them. It was stated in a press release issued by its president, Jones Ingti Kathar on Thursday.
The press statement read, ‘We are aware that each scheduled tribe is allowed to utilise their own traditional village council for implementing government schemes. The government is ready to send government funds directly to the traditional village councils for implementing government schemes. Regarding which, each tribe must notify the government about the traditional village council of its own. For the non-tribal people, the government is sending funds directly to their panchayats.
The traditional village council of each tribe must be written in the language of each tribe, because it is a matter of law and for retaining the identity of each tribe. As per information, the traditional village council of the Garos is Songka Dilgaha, Karbi is Ser Van Kep, Kuki is Tulsong Vaisa, Dimasa is Raji Neisokho, Khasi is Dorbar Shnong, Rengma Naga is Nzang Terupvunyu Song Sadwen, Shyam-Tai is Muk Pom Chou-Hu Ban.
“We do not know about Hmar, Thadou, Biate, Paite, Chakma and Bodo. Kindly note that the constitution of India provides for utilisation of Traditional Village Councils of each of the Tribes people under Article 243(d) of Indian constitution and Paragraph 3 (1) (e) (f) (g) of the Sixth Schedule to the constitution of India”, the president stated.
As per law, unlike panchayats of non-tribal people, the traditional village councils of ST people can have more than ten members depending on their customary laws. In case of non-tribal people, although panchayat means a committee of five members, they have ten members. Tribes may have less or more members as per their custom. The panchayat of the non-tribal people cannot be established in Sixth Schedule Areas. This is clearly stated in Article 243M of the constitution of India and Section 1 of the Assam Panchayat Act, 1994.