Decision to reserve one MLA seat from Puroik community under process: Arunachal minister

Itanagar: The matter of reserving one MLA seat and two zila parishad members (ZPMs) from the Puroik community in Arunachal Pradesh, as per the directive of the high court in 2015, is under process, Social Justice & Empowerment and Tribal Affairs (SJETA) Minister Alo Libang told the assembly on Tuesday.

In response to a written question by Congress legislator Nabam Tuki, the minister said there is no demand from the Puroik community for granting a separate tribe status and it is a sub-tribe of the Nyshi.

Puroik, earlier known as ‘Sulung’ (slave), with an estimated population of 8,977 as per 2017 data, is mainly found in East Kameng, Pakke Kessang, West Kameng, Kurung Kumey, Kra Daadi and Papum Pare districts.

The minister informed that the department has kept a fund provision of Rs 10 lakh under livelihood generation activities during the current fiscal for enumeration and compilation of latest population of Puroik community through deputy commissioners of six inhabited districts.

After the cabinet approval in 2017, the state government had constituted the Autonomous Puroik Welfare Board (APWB) and since then an amount of Rs 769 lakh was sanctioned to it to undertake various welfare projects for the community, Libang said.

Bopai Puroik is the first from the community to be appointed as an extra assistant commissioner (EAC).