Ranchi, Nov 11 (IANS): The Jharkhand Assembly on Wednesday passed a unanimous resolution at its special session on Sarna Adivasi Dharam Code, so as to get it incorporated in a separate column in the population census.

The state will now send the passed resolution to the central government for necessary action.

The Assembly session was convened on the demand of several tribal organisations which were pressing for separate code in the census.

"For tribals, the Sarna Code is important. The state is committed for it. This is a historic day for tribal people who migrate outside the state and thus their population is not counted. A good message will go across the country if the tribals get the separate religious code. The official figures shows a decline in tribal population, which prevents tribals from getting many government benefits," Chief Minister Hemant Soren said in the Assembly.

He said that the entire country was worried over rising pollution levels and in such a scenario the religion of the tribals aimed to protect environment.

The Chief Minister said that a separate religious code would bring many benefits to the tribals.

BJP legislator Neelkanth Singh Munda targeted the state government for bringing the Adivasi/Sarna Dharam Code. After his objection, the name was amended as Sarna Adivasi Dharam Code.

The BJP leader said that he too supported the religious code but accused the Congress of doing politics on the matter as word Adivasi (tribal) was deliberately included. He said that earlier too there was a separate code for the tribals but it was removed.