Shimla: Chorus for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) status for the Trans Giri area of Sirmaur District is gaining voices as many of political representatives of the district were coming together and demanding the state government declare the region as Tribal to get benefits to the people of the region. A deputation of Trans-Giri area led by Chairman, Employment Generation & Resource Mobilization Harshwardhan Chauhan, called on Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today and put forth their demand.
The deputation demanded that the survey report which was being conducted by the Tribal Department of Himachal Pradesh University may be forwarded to the State Government soon.
Harshwardhan Chauhan said it was a very long standing issue of district Sirmour, which include entire constituency of Shillai, Renuka Ji, Rajgarh Tehsil of Pachhad constituency and eight panchayats of Anj-Bhoj area of Paonta Assembly Constituency.
Over 2.50 lakh people of region would be benefitted if the Trans-Giri area was declared as Tribal.
The Chief Minister assured that their demands would be considered sympathetically and matter would be taken with the Government of India soon after receiving the survey report.
To get benefits of the schedule tribe to break the century-old shackles of poverty and socio-economic backwardness, residents of the trans-Giri region, comprising more than 124 gram panchayats Shillai, Renuka Ji, Rajgarh Tehsil of Pachhad constituency and eight panchayats of Anj-Bhoj area of Paonta Assembly Constituency, were sporadically raising the issue for declaring the region a schedule tribal area
The people of the region were raising the issue since 1991 with little success, but demand had gained some movement in the ensuing 2014 parliamentary election when an all-party delegation met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and pleaded their case before him.
