Srinagar: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Abdul Gani Kohli Wednesday expressed his concern over the non-participation of Scheduled Tribes living in J&K in all major schemes launched by the Government of India and the J&K government.
A statement of BJP issued here said that addressing a news conference in Srinagar, he appealed to the administration to ensure ST category people were taken onboard while implementing the Central and J&K-level schemes.
“SC-category people including Bakerwals and Gujjars should not be considered ‘untouchables’ as they too are part and parcel of J&K. These people live in forests and mountains and are totally unaware of the scores of programmes, centrally-sponsored schemes and funding that comes under the Tribal schemes from both the governments,” he said.
Kohli urged the J&K administration that a coordination committee had been constituted for the ST-category people that hardly had any representation from the ST people.