MUMBAI: Maharashtra government on Friday assured tribals, who fall under the "extended area category" in the state, of solving their "genuine" demands on reservation as they were denied their rights for several decades.

The state minister for home Kripashankar Singh, while addressing a gathering of over 35,000 tribals from across the state who staged a dharna at Azad Maidan here protesting "injustice" to their community, said "state government was totally with the adivasis as their demands are genuine and legally correct".

"Government will hold meetings with the tribal leaders of Adivasi Koli Mahasangh (AKM) before August 15", Singh said, so that the implementation process is eased out for the benefit of adivasis.

The tribals had demanded that "the state government first define who the real tribals are, as the reservation benefit is not being enjoyed by those who have been under "extended area category" since 1976.

AKM president Ravikant Perekar said unless a clear cut definition is not given by the government about Scheduled Tribes and follow an honest scrutinisation procedure, the SC/ST Act should not be implemented.

"We want to know the true state of the Scheduled Tribes from the extended area category who have not been enjoying the fruits of reservation in the state even after 53 years of independence", he said.( PTI )