Rajya Sabha on July 26 passed a bill to accord the Scheduled Tribe status to the Hattee community in Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh.
The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill 2022 was passed in the Upper House of Parliament by voice vote.
Lok Sabha had cleared the bill in December 2022.
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Piloting the bill in Rajya Sabha, Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda said the bill provides justice to the Hattee community of Trans Giri area of Sirmour district in the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh.
He noted that with the passing of the bill, the ST population in Himachal Pradesh will go up to 5.5 lakh from 3.5 lakh currently.
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.
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, especially reservation in educational institutions and government jobs.
