New Delhi: Feb 18: BJP leader and Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma Bharti on Saturday called for implementation of the recommendations of the National Commission for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Tribes for their inclusion under Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes “at the earliest’’.
Addressing a conference of representatives of these tribes here, Ms. Bharti said even though most of the tribes had been included in the SC/ST and OBC categories, 300 de-notified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes were not classified anywhere and lacked access to socio-economic benefits.
“I will raise the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh so that the people of these communities do not have to face hardships anymore,’’ the Minister said, adding that “it was better to light a lamp in the hut of a poor than doing so in a temple.’’
