HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N. Tukaramji, on Friday asked the state government why it had not taken steps to constitute the Commission for Scheduled Tribes.
The bench issued notices to the Chief Secretary, principal secretary, tribal welfare commissioner and secretary and the secretary of National Commission for STs, directing them to respond to the notices and duly furnish reasons.
The bench was dealing with a PIL filed by Bhukya Deva Naik, complaining that the state government had not constituted the commission for STs, despite the state having a 40-lakh tribal population.
Bhukya Mangilal Naik, counsel for the petitioner, informed the court that by virtue of the State Commission for Scheduled Tribes (Amendment) Bill, 2013 and Article 338(A) (9) of the Constitution, the state has to constitute the commission, which has not been done in nine years.
