Focus On Tribal Welfare

Chief Minister K Rosaiah, on Wednesday, agreed to release funds for the improvement of tribal welfare hostels and other schemes taken up by the department, and said that all the tribal welfare institutions would be renovated and made model ones.

Rosaiah also asked the Finance Department to give priority to the requirements of the Tribal Welfare Department.

The Chief Minister was speaking at a review meeting over the functioning and various other issues pertaining to the Tribal Welfare Department with the Minister and officials concerned. Rosaiah also agreed to fill vacancies in the ITDAs and the Tribal Welfare Department on a priority basis.

The Chief Minister was informed that a workshop was held in ITDA, Bhadrachalam, recently, to identify the gaps and interventions required for improving literacy in tribal areas. Meanwhile, the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) was requested to support a State Level Planning and Monitoring Unit (SPMU) on tribal education in the office of the Commissioner, Tribal Welfare.

There are 1,313 tribal welfare institutions, with a total strength of 2,98,600 students. The strength has been fixed for all tribal welfare institutions as per existing infrastructure available. Admission into tribal welfare hostels during 2010-11 was being done as per a government order. In Andhra Pradesh, Tribal Welfare Residential Educational Institutions (APTWREIs) admissions are being carried out as per the Right To Education Act.

Arrears of post-matric scholarships have been released to the districts. During 2010-11, Rs. 1,540 lakhs were provided for pre-matric scholarships, and Rs. 770 lakhs have been released so far.

Under the Tribal Welfare-NREGS convergence, 4.67 lakhs acres of lands were distributed among 1.65 lakh families as individual pattas under the RoFR Act, 2006. Comprehensive and systematic planning was being taken up to start land development, minor irrigation development, horticulture and plantation development. The plan will be implemented in 2010-11 and 2011-12.

The Centre had sanctioned Rs. 206.77 crores for 42 Ashram schools in Naxalite-affected areas in Khammam district. The Chief Minister had already asked the Centre to treat a few more districts as Naxal-affected areas and sanction similar assistance.

The Chief Minister was informed that 25% of the royalty collected from mining leases in the tribal areas would be spent for the welfare of tribals. Orders have been issued in this regard, and the Chief Minister asked the Finance Department to allocate funds to the Tribal Welfare Department.

Tribal Welfare Minister P Balaraju, Adviser to CM P K Agarwal, Special Chief Secretary (Tribal Welfare) AK Tigdi, Tribal Welfare Commissioner Shanthi Kumari, Principal Secretary (Finance) L V Subramaniam and other officials attended the meeting.

Courtesy: INN