Org warns against misuse of ST, PRC documents

Staff REPORTER

ITANAGAR, May 07: The Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe Welfare Society (APSTWS) has issued a stern warning against the misuse of Schedule Tribe (ST) and Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) documents by non-Arunachal Pradesh Schedule Tribe (APST) individuals.

The APSTWS conveyed this warning during a news conference held at the Press Club here on Monday.

APSTWS spokesperson, Padam Doku, emphasized the urgent need to prevent non-APST individuals from exploiting ST privileges.

The society urged those availing themselves of ST quotas to promptly surrender their ST and PRCs, asserting that this action would curb such illicit activities for the state's welfare.

Doku underscored instances of non-tribal exploitation of ST quotas, highlighting the direct threat it poses to tribal communities, particularly in government employment and property ownership.

He also addressed concerns regarding individuals of mixed heritage, born to both APST and non-APST parents, posing an indirect threat to Arunachal Pradesh.

"Our goal is crystal clear - to safeguard the rights and benefits rightfully belonging to the APST community. We are committed to ensuring a just and equitable Arunachal for our future generations," stated Doku.

The APSTWS additionally revealed its intention to conduct thorough verifications of individuals' statuses through document inspections and historical analyses to identify and rectify instances of non-APST individuals benefiting from ST privileges.

They asserted that steps have been initiated to tackle this issue and appealed for public support and cooperation “to protect the interests of the APST community”.