STs should get adequate seats in LS, assembly : BJP MP

BJP MP from Koderma Ravindra Kumar Rai today said the scheduled tribes should get adequate seats in the Lok Sabha and state assembly based on their population ratio.

Rai, who was a former BJP Jharkhand Unit President, raised the issue under rule 377 of the Lok Sabha today, according to a release issued here.

He said that the constitution has provision for reservation for right to representation, particularly for Schedule Tribe and Schedule Caste in the state assembly, which should be based on their population.

He said Schedule Tribe represent 11 per cent to 12 per cent of the state population but their representation in the state assembly was less than ten per cent as specified before the statehood of Jharkhand 16 years ago, which deprived the community of right to representation.

Following the creation of separate Jharkhand, Rai alleged that Congress party had blocked the process of delimitation of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in the state by moving an amendment.

Demanding for resumption of delimitation process, Rai advocated for increase in Lok Sabha and Assembly to provide adequate representation of Schedule Tribe people as per their population.

In general, while a Lok Sabha seat in Jharkhand was spread over three to four districts, it was two to three district as far as assembly seats were concerned, he said, adding that such impractical spread of a parliamentary and assembly seats prevent the people�s representative to carry out development work properly.