Assam cabinet approves GoM's report on granting ST status to 6 communities

Guwahati, Nov 26 (PTI) The Assam cabinet on Wednesday approved the report of the Group of Ministers (GoM) regarding the proposal for the grant of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six major communities of the state, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Members of these six communities -- Tai Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Motok, Koch-Rajbongshi and Tea Tribes (Adivasis) -- have been demanding ST status for a long time.

The report of the GoM will be submitted by the state's Tribal Affairs department to the assembly, and ''we will request the Speaker to table it in the house before the winter session ends on Saturday'', the chief minister said at the media briefing after the meeting.

The three-member GoM was headed by Education Minister Ranoj Pegu while the other two members are Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika and Information and Technology Minister Keshab Mahanta.

The state cabinet has also approved the modification and transfer of .99 acres of land under the Handloom, Textiles and Sericulture Department, to the Cultural Affairs Department for the establishment of a state-of-the-art museum where the famed devotional textile 'Vrindavani Vastra' will be on display for the public after being brought on loan from the British Museum in London, Sarma said.
    The 'Vrindavani Vastra', a 16th-century silk textile depicting the life of Lord Krishna, was created under the guidance of Assamese cultural icon Srimanta Sankardeva at the request of Koch king Nara Narayan.
The museum, a priority initiative aimed at preserving and showcasing one of Assam’s most significant heritage textiles, will be developed with the support of JSW I&P Holdings Pvt. Ltd as their Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, he added.

The State Cabinet also approved the Assam Survey and Settlement Training Centre Teachers’ Service Rules, 2025, to regulate the recruitment, service conditions, and career progression of teachers at the Assam Survey and Settlement Training Centre (ASSTC), the Chief Minister added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)