Rajya Sabha passes Bill to give Scheduled Tribe status to Hattee community in Sirmaur district

New Delhi, July 26

The Rajya Sabha today passed a Bill to accord the Scheduled Tribe status to the Hattee community in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill 2022 was passed in the Upper House of Parliament by voice vote.

The Lok Sabha had cleared the Bill in December 2022. The Bill will be now be sent to President for her assent after which it will become an Act.

Piloting the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda said the Bill provides justice to the Hattee community of trans-Giri area of Sirmaur district. Munda said that people from the community, who live across the border in Uttarakhand, already have the status of the Scheduled Tribe.

The Bill follows the recommendations of the Himachal Pradesh Government that the Hattee community be included in the list of Scheduled Tribes in respect of the state. However, those section of the community, who are identified as the Scheduled Castes, has been kept out of the list of STs.

With the passage of the Bill, the members of the Hattee community will be entitled to all benefits which are provided to the members of the Scheduled Tribes, including reservation in educational institutions and government jobs.

Will be sent to Prez

• The Bill was passed in the Upper House by voice vote.
• Lok Sabha had cleared the Bill in December 2022.
• The Bill will be now sent to President for her assent following which it will become an Act.
• Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda said the Bill provides justice to the Hattee community of trans-Giri area of Sirmaur district.