Centre to consider granting ST status to Pahari people

JAMMU: The Centre will sympathetically consider the demand for granting Schedule Tribe (ST) status to Pahari speaking people in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said on Thursday

Jaiswal gave the assurance to a delegation of Pahari Board led by its vice chairman Shabir Khan, which called on the Minister here.

The members of the delegation had apprised him that the Jammu and Kashmir government had four times recommended to the Centre that Pahari speaking people be granted ST status, Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman Ravinder Sharma told PTI.

The state assembly had also passed a resolution urging the Centre to consider the demand.

The Minister said the issue of providing relief to the disabled people of border belts in Nowshera and Rajouri would be looked into by the government.

Jaiswal, who is on a two-day visit to Jammu, later left along with his family for Katra to pay obeisance at Vaishnodevi temple