Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that around 1,6 lakh people of the Hatti community of the Trans-Giri area of the Sirmaur district would be benefited with their inclusion in the list Schedule Tribe (ST) that got the Union cabinet nod.
He thanked the Union Government and especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving the ST status to the people of the Trans-Giri area in its Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.
Thakur said the Central government had fulfilled a long pending demand of the people of the Trans-Giri area who had been struggling for ST status ever since the Jaunsar-Bawar area of the neighbouring state Uttrakhand with almost same identical culture and topographic conditions was accorded tribal status in 1967.
He said that the present state government after coming to power in the state has vigorously pursued this issue with the Central leadership and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other Central leadership have given full support in this issue of the Hatti community due to which all efforts have borne fruits.
Calling it a historic decision, he said, “This would benefit the population of around 1.6 lakh people of Sirmaur district in the four Assembly constituencies including Pachhad, Renukaji, Shillai and Ponta Sahib. Total 389 villages of 154 panchyats will come under its ambit.”
He further said that to protect the interest and rights of the Scheduled Caste (SC) of the area 91,446 SC people have been kept out of the Hatti community.
Sharing the details of the Assembly constituencies that would be benefitted population and area wise, he said that the population of ST beneficiaries of the Shillai Assembly constituency will be 66,775 people of 95 villages in 58 panchyats, Renukaji 40,397 people of 122 villages in 44 panchyats, Pachhad 27,261 people of 141 villages 33 panchyats and one Nagar Panchyat and in Ponta 25,323 people of 31 villages of 18 panchyats will be benefitted.