Bhubaneswar, Aug 29: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday stressed the need to create a society based on the principles of equality and justice for people belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities in India.

While inaugurating the two-day National Conference of Chairpersons of SC and ST Welfare Committees of Parliament and State/UT Legislatures here, Birla said that the fundamental principles of the Indian Constitution are based on Baba Saheb Ambedkar’s ideology. The Lok Sabha Speaker further added that the country has been marching ahead following these core principles for the past 78 years.

“Steps are being taken in the light of this principle to provide justice to SC/ST and backward classes in social and economic sectors. Accepting the new ideas emerging through the discussions and analysis in the committee today and applying the best practices implemented in different states at other places, a society based on equality and justice can be created for the SC and ST people,” added Birla.

He also stated that the members of the SC/ST welfare committees always rise above the party lines to make decisions for the upliftment of these communities. “Whatever progress has been made by the SC/ST communities in the country today has become possible due to this committee’s recommendations, reviews and monitoring. The parliamentary committee and state committees, irrespective of their party affiliations, have focused on the development of these communities,” he further added.

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Participating in the event, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charana Majhi thanked the Lok Sabha Speaker for selecting Odisha as the venue for this national conference, which is being held outside Delhi after 25 years. He said the selection of Odisha as a venue for various national and international events shows the growing importance of Odisha at the national level.

“We are doing well today, tomorrow will be even better. This conference in Bhubaneswar will pave the road to a prosperous future for the SC and ST communities,” asserted CM Majhi.

He also highlighted several welfare steps taken by the Odisha government to safeguard the culture of tribals and spread education in their language. The Chief Minister stated that this conference would be a historic one in every respect. Based on the opinions and discussions from this conference, new policies and programmes would be formulated.

He expressed that the people from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes would join the mainstream and play a significant role in building a prosperous Odisha and a developed India.

Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Jual Oram; Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Harivansh Narayan Singh and Chairperson, Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of SC and ST, Dr Faggan Singh Kulaste, also addressed the gathering during the conference.

The two-day Conference (August 29-30) will bring together over 120 delegates, including Chairpersons and Members of the Committees on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes from the Parliament and State/UT Legislatures. The theme of the conference is ‘Role of Parliamentary and Legislature Committees in Welfare, Development and Empowerment of SCs and STs.

--IANS

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