New Delhi: On February 8, Parliament passed two bills aimed at modifying the lists of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2024, were approved in the Lok Sabha after previously passing in the Rajya Sabha earlier in the week.
The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024, proposes to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, to include the Bondo Porja, Khond Porja, and Konda Savaras communities in the Scheduled Tribes list of Andhra Pradesh. The other Bill, the Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, to modify the lists of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Odisha. This bill will include four primitive tribal communities – Pauri Bhuyan, Chuktia Bhunjia, Bondo, and Mankidia – in the Scheduled Tribes list.
Additionally, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024, was passed on February 8, following its clearance in the Lower House. This bill, which had previously passed in the Rajya Sabha, aims to amend the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. The amendments focus on streamlining the appointment process of key officials of the State Pollution Control Board and decriminalizing several violations. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav commented on the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024, stating that it will simplify the business environment by removing unnecessary penalties.
Originally introduced in the Rajya Sabha on February 5, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024, prompted an extension of the Budget Session by a day, originally scheduled to conclude on February 9.
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