Shillong, November 15 : Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Kishore Chandra Deo today held a meeting with State secretaries and commissioners of States/Union Territories in New Delhi to address the issues of the important schemes and programmes of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and relating to tribal welfare. Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Mahadeo Singh Khandela was also present at the meeting.
Informing Newmai News Network about the development on November 15, sources from New Delhi disclosed that the Union Minister called for the complete utilization of the funds provided by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to the States, under the Special Area programmes, fully, in the interest of the Scheduled Tribes (ST). He said that the Under the Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub Plans, various income generation activities can be implemented for overall developments of the Scheduled Tribes and utilize the funds available through Article 275(1) grant. Activities for improving infrastructural facilities can also be undertaken.
Among the infrastructural facilities, the Union Minister particularly laid emphasis on education. He called for plugging drop outs at the primary school level and utilization of funds available for the Ekalavya Model Residential Schools as this was one of successful schemes for developing educational facilities for Scheduled Tribes. The Minister also called for ensuring the quality of education at other education institutions like the Ashram Schools.
The Minister highlighted that in the Vocational Training programmes, accreditation of institutions is a major bottleneck and the concerned States/UTs, must make efforts to get vocational training institutes accredited as this would help in improving self employment/job opportunities for the Scheduled Tribes. The Minister also stressed upon the improvement of the health infrastructure in tribal areas. He pointed out that the problem of left wing extremism in tribal areas could not be dealt only as a law and order problem it had to be tackled by providing all basic infrastructure facilities like health, education, training and employment.
Speaking about the Forest Right Act, the Minister said that this Act has come as a ray of hope to the tribal people and has helped in ensuring the rights of the forest dwellers which were their traditional and heritable rights. The States/UTs have shown progress in varying degrees in the implementation of the Act. He called upon all States to start implementing the Act to the fullest so that benefits accrue to whom they are due.
Khandela who also addressed the gathering pointed out that 97% of the total budget of funds of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for 2010-11 had been released to the States. In the current financial year also the Ministry has already released 53% of its budget for the States to implement various schemes. He expressed hope that the States would be able to utilize the maximum possible funds for the welfare of the tribals.
The meeting debated on various issues such as grants under Article 275(1), Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub Plan, hostels for ST girls and boys, establishment of Ashram Schools in Tribal Sub Plan Areas, development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, Post Matric Scholarship, grants to Tribal Research Institutes, grants to Scheduled Tribe Dev elopement Corporation, grants-in-aid to VOs working for the Welfare of STs, strengthening Education among ST girls in Low Literacy Districts and vocational training in tribal areas.
Informing Newmai News Network about the development on November 15, sources from New Delhi disclosed that the Union Minister called for the complete utilization of the funds provided by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to the States, under the Special Area programmes, fully, in the interest of the Scheduled Tribes (ST). He said that the Under the Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub Plans, various income generation activities can be implemented for overall developments of the Scheduled Tribes and utilize the funds available through Article 275(1) grant. Activities for improving infrastructural facilities can also be undertaken.
Among the infrastructural facilities, the Union Minister particularly laid emphasis on education. He called for plugging drop outs at the primary school level and utilization of funds available for the Ekalavya Model Residential Schools as this was one of successful schemes for developing educational facilities for Scheduled Tribes. The Minister also called for ensuring the quality of education at other education institutions like the Ashram Schools.
The Minister highlighted that in the Vocational Training programmes, accreditation of institutions is a major bottleneck and the concerned States/UTs, must make efforts to get vocational training institutes accredited as this would help in improving self employment/job opportunities for the Scheduled Tribes. The Minister also stressed upon the improvement of the health infrastructure in tribal areas. He pointed out that the problem of left wing extremism in tribal areas could not be dealt only as a law and order problem it had to be tackled by providing all basic infrastructure facilities like health, education, training and employment.
Speaking about the Forest Right Act, the Minister said that this Act has come as a ray of hope to the tribal people and has helped in ensuring the rights of the forest dwellers which were their traditional and heritable rights. The States/UTs have shown progress in varying degrees in the implementation of the Act. He called upon all States to start implementing the Act to the fullest so that benefits accrue to whom they are due.
Khandela who also addressed the gathering pointed out that 97% of the total budget of funds of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for 2010-11 had been released to the States. In the current financial year also the Ministry has already released 53% of its budget for the States to implement various schemes. He expressed hope that the States would be able to utilize the maximum possible funds for the welfare of the tribals.
The meeting debated on various issues such as grants under Article 275(1), Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub Plan, hostels for ST girls and boys, establishment of Ashram Schools in Tribal Sub Plan Areas, development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, Post Matric Scholarship, grants to Tribal Research Institutes, grants to Scheduled Tribe Dev elopement Corporation, grants-in-aid to VOs working for the Welfare of STs, strengthening Education among ST girls in Low Literacy Districts and vocational training in tribal areas.
