A parliamentary standing committee has expressed regret over the delay in approving the national tribal policy. The Union Tribal Affairs Ministry formulated a draft national tribal policy in June 2006 to address issues such as low Human Development Index, poor infrastructure, diminishing control over the natural resource base, persistent threats of eviction from their natural habitat, and exclusion from mainstream society besides inequality in opportunities. However, the policy had not been finalised and was still under consideration, the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment said in its Demand for Grants tabled in Parliament on Monday. At this stage it cannot but overemphasise the need for early consideration and approval of this policy by the Group of Ministers, the committee said while seeking to be apprised of the latest position in this regard. The committee noted that sufficient steps had not been taken by the Ministry to generate awareness among tribal people about various schemes being implemented for their uplift. Expressing unhappiness over the lack of awareness, the committee suggested that various schemes should be given wide publicity through the print and electronic media, including vernacular print media, by using traditional media such as music, dance and distributing pamphlets in tribal areas. It recommended that the Ministry organise camps regularly and send its officers to States and Union Territories for the purpose. The committee hoped that these steps would certainly help the tribal people in availing the benefits of the schemes. The committee suggested that funds be allocated in proportion to the population of the Scheduled Tribes to the total population in the country. As such, at least 8.5 per cent of the budget of the entire country should be provided for the development of tribal groups, it said.