Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal urged the All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AASAA) to submit a revenue circle-wise list of eligible beneficiaries for providing land pattas to tea community.

Sonowal, during a meeting with a delegation of AASAA at his conference room at Janata Bhawan, assured them that the state government has taken positive steps to fulfil the demand of providing land pattas to the tea community.

As the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) movement gains momentum in Assam, the state government has announced a slew of sops for different communities of the state.

On Tuesday, Sonowal had meetings with leaders of the AASAA and All Santhal Students’ Union (ASSU).

The meetings were also attended by Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Also read: Assam govt attempts to douse anti-CAA protests

In the meeting, the AASAA representatives demanded that their demand for granting of Scheduled Tribe status to the tea community must be fulfilled at an early date.

The CM informed them that appropriate steps would be taken after the submission of GoM report.

They also said the Adivasi Development Council should be extended in all parts of Assam as it is currently operational in only Sixth Schedule areas of the state.

The AASAA also raised the issue of other non-eligible communities getting caste certificates as tea community members.

The CM urged them to prepare the ground for constituting a bona fide organisation to represent each of 106 sub-castes under Adivasi community so that authenticity could be maintained.

He stressed on the need to prepare a structure where genuine beneficiaries could receive caste certificates and also sentiments of all sub-groups could be honoured.

The CM also assured AASAA of all support from the state government for organising a state-level football competition in the name of Justin Lakra.

He also said the state government would look into their demands of declaring Karam Puja as a government holiday.

Appointment of Adivasi language teachers in HS Schools of the state, increasing seats for free coaching camp of tea community students for UPSC, APSC, Medical and Engineering entrance exams were some of their other demands.

Later, the CM also held a separate meeting with the representatives of All Santhal Students’ Union and received a memorandum.

In response to their demand for building martyrs’ memorial to honour all those who lost their lives in various conflicts to protect the communities’ interest, assurances were given that the state government would take steps for building the same.

All Santhal Students’ Union was also urged to provide a list of all the martyrs whose families received or were left out from getting ex-gratia.

On their demand for Santahli text books in the schools of the state, assurance was given to provide the same from this academic year.

A hostel cum guest house of the association at Beltola, Guwahati would also be built by the government apart from looking into the proposal of building guest houses in four districts of the state.