Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurated the two-day national conference of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Parliamentary Committee at Bhubaneswar this morning. The Conference is being attended by Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha Harivansh Narayan Singh, Union Ministers Jual Oram and Dharmendra Pradhan, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Chairman of the Committee Faggan Singh Kulaste and other dignitaries.

 

 

30 members of the Parliamentary Committee on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Welfare are also attending the Conference. More than 120 delegates from across the country, including the Chairman and Members of such committees of Parliament and 19 states, have come together on one platform. The theme of the conference is ‘The Role of Parliamentary and Legislative Committees in welfare, development and empowerment of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes’.

 

 

The Conference, which is being held for the first time outside Delhi, will also hold deliberations on constitutional safeguards for Scheduled Tribes and measures undertaken by various states for tribal development. Earlier on the day, the Lok Sabha Speaker also visited an exhibition being held at the Conference venue showcasing Odisha’s rich tradition of handicrafts, handlooms, culture, and art.