Secretariat for ST welfare comes into being

Bengaluru: The government has established a dedicated secretariat for the welfare of Scheduled Tribes (ST), Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Saturday.

Siddaramaiah held a meeting with officials concerned and ST Welfare Minister B Nagendra on Friday night, to discuss the establishment of a separate secretariat for STs and instructed them to take necessary action for the inauguration of the secretariat on the occasion of Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti on Saturday. 

The new ST welfare secretariat will operate from room number 228 of the Vidhana Soudha. 

In 2021, when the BJP was in power, a Cabinet decision was made to create an ST secretariat. Criticising the previous BJP government, Siddaramaiah said that it had not spent much for the development of SC/ST communities in the state.

“Except Congress, no government spent enough money for SC/ST welfare,” Siddaramaiah said.  Nagendra said the ST community would support the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections.

“In the Assembly elections, of the 15 constituencies reserved for STs, the Congress won 14. Even during the Lok Sabha polls, our community will stand with the Congress,” he said. 

At the event, Maharshi Valmiki awards were conferred on eight people.