Lok Sabha Question No. 2778 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-21
Subject: National Commission for Tribes
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Raksha Nikhil Khadse, Manoj Kishorbhai Kotak

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 2778

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 21/03/2022

## NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR TRIBES

2778. SHRIMATI RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE: SHRI MANOJ KOTAK:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps taken by the Government to create awareness about the schemes/rights/safeguards given as per the Constitutional provisions under the Act 338A for expanding the reach/scope of work allocated to ensure that;
- (b) whether the existing network through Regional offices of National Commission for Tribes (NCST) is sufficient;
- (c)  if so, the details of the work carried out since last three years in each regional office of NCST; and
- (d)  if  not,  whether  the  Government proposes expansion through setting up new Regional offices of the NCST to effectively cater the services to the tribal and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU)

- (a) to (d) : The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has its head quarter at New Delhi and six Regional Offices, located in Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, Raipur, Ranchi and Shillong which work as "eyes and ears" of the Commission. They also work as point of contact for the Scheduled Tribes of the States where they are located and a large number of STs come there with their grievances. The Members of the Commission and officials visit the tribal areas across  the  country  and  make  people  aware  about  the  role  and  functions  assigned  to  the Commission under the Constitution of India. They also address print and electronic media during such visits. Besides above, Handbooks and Pamphlets have also been published for publicity of the roles and functions of the Commission.

With a view to providing information about the functioning of the Commission to the tribal petitioners who visit the Commission, an Information and Facilitation Centre (I&FC) has been set up at the entry point of the Headquarter office of the Commission. In order to enable the poor tribal people living in different parts of the country to contact the officers of this Commission and also to send their grievances/ complaints, a Toll Free telephone number 1 800 11 7777 has been  commissioned  on  which  the  Commission  can  be  contacted  free  of  cost  from BSNL/MTNL landline telephones from anywhere in the country.

The  National  Commission  for  Scheduled  Tribes  (NCST)  has  developed  a  software  to facilitate  web  enabled  grievance  redressal  system.  This  portal  has  been  made  operational w.e.f. 31.12.2020. This initiative will facilitate ease of filing a complaint in the Commission by any aggrieved person belonging to Scheduled Tribes community or their representatives and it  will also facilitate them in getting updates on progress/status of the case. The portal for lodging the complaints in the Commission is https://ncstgrans.gov.in/public/Home.aspx Recently, NCST had organized awareness camps in various States for  creating  awareness among the Scheduled Tribes about Role and Functions of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes in the month of March, 2021.

*****