‘Vimukt Ghumantu Jati Vikas Board’ Set up

CHANDIGARH, August 30—Determined to uplift the Denotified Tribes (DNTs) and bring them into the mainstream, the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal, today announced the setting up of ‘Vimukt Ghumantu Jati Vikas Board’. Besides, the Habitual Offenders Act would be abolished to ensure that no action is taken against the members belonging to the Vimukt, Ghumantu and Ardh-Ghumantu Jatis under the Act, he said.

Mr Manohar Lal conceded most of the demands of the DNTs while speaking at the state level ‘Mukti Divas’ Samaroh-2015 organized by the Haryana Vimukt, Ghumantu, Ardh-Ghumantu and Tapriwas Jan-Jati Kalyan Sangh in Panipat, today.

He announced that hostels for the students belonging to DNTs would be constructed wherever required. The government would also make available plots for the construction of community centres in different districts of the state. Many castes are included  in the list of DNTs (Vimukt Jati are Bawaria, Sanshi, Bajigar (Banjara), Spela (Nath), Hedi (Nayak), Deha, Odh, Sikligarh, Gadia Lohar, Doom/Mirasi, Singikat, Jogi, Nut, Bhatt, Sorgar/Shergar, Palgadaria and Ram Sik.
The ‘Vimukt Ghumantu Jati Vikas Board’, Mr Manohar Lal said, would comprise representatives of both government and the community. An advisory committee would also be set up to conduct a survey to ascertain the number of people belonging to DNTs living in different parts of the state. On the basis of the findings of the survey, they would be made available housing facility under various schemes of the Housing Department. Nomads would benefit most from the scheme ‘Housing for All’ announced by the Prime Minister, Mr Narender Modi, which has set a target to provide housing facility to all families in the country by 2022.

 Patting members belonging to the Vimukt Jati, Ghumantu, Ardh-Ghumantu and Tapriwas jatis on the back, the Chief Minister told them to keep pace with the changing times and settle down permanently at one place instead of moving from one place to another. He assured full support and cooperation of the state government for the purpose.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Ashwani Chopra, MP, said, “It is a matter of pride for all of us that members of DNTs have self-respect, believe in hard work and never resort to begging. As a Member of Parliament, my doors are always open for them,” he added.
The Haryana Finance Minister, Capt. Abhimanyu, described the day as a historical day. The BJP Government under the leadership of the Chief Minister does not belong to any particular family, district, caste or area but belonges to the 2.5 crore people of Haryana. The previous governments always misled the people belonging to this community on the issue of eradicating poverty but in reality, poverty and unemployment remained on the higher side during their tenure.
The Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Mrs Kavita Jain, said that many castes in Haryana were still fighting for their rights even after several years of Independence. She urged the people to lay special emphasis on providing quality education to their wards.
The Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Mr Krishan Kumar, Transport Minister, Mr Krishan Lal Pawar, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Shyam Singh Rana, and MLA Mr Kulwant Bajigar. also spoke on the occasion.