Himachal HC stays granting ST status to Hati community

Hearing on the issue scheduled for March 18

The Newz Radar
Shimla

Himachal High Court ordered a stay on granting the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Hati community of the Giripar area of the Sirmour district. The interim order was issued on Thursday and the hearing on the issue has been scheduled for March 18.
The Himachal government ordinance will be held in abeyance till March 18.
A petition was filed in Himachal HC by the Gujjar and SC communities of the state challenging the Union government’s decision to grant ST status to the Hati community. The petition claimed that the Hati community members do not fulfill the economic and educational backwardness criteria essential to get the ST status.
The Union government had announced in September 2022 that the Hati community of Giripar area would be granted the ST status. Following this an ordinance was passed by the Union government on August 4, 2023, regarding this.
The Himachal government had sought some clarification from the Union government following which a notification was issued on January 1 by the state government granting the ST status to the community.
Advocate Rajneesh Maniktala, representing the Gujjar community, said that the HC stayed the notification of the state government after hearing the two petitions on this issue.