Latest news with #VulnerableTribal
Time of India
11-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
78 years after Independence, tribals in remote part of Rajasthan's Baran district get electricity connections
A remote hilly area in Baran district in Rajasthan received electricity connections for the first time, 78 years after Independence. The long wait for electricity for around 200 people of the Sahariya tribe living in 40 houses, 3 km off Sanvara village and 175 km from the district headquarters, was finally over on June 30, officials said. Now, Baran district has achieved 100 per cent electricity connection, district collector Rohitashva Singh Tomar said on Thursday. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Top 25 Most Beautiful Women In The World Articles Vally Undo The work was done within 20-25 days of receiving the grievance from people during a 'ratri chopal' (night meeting) last month, he said. This was a "remarkable example of quick resolution of public issues", the collector said. Live Events "People in the entire village are elated and in high spirits now that their nights are lit up. The electricity has eventually reached the village after a decades-long," said Arun Sahariya, grandson of Badri Sahariya. Badri Sahariya, a former sarpanch and other locals raised the matter during the night 'ratri chopal'. Sahariyas are a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVGT). During the 'Ratri Chopal' on May 23, Badri Sahariya informed the district collector that 40 families of the Sahariya community do not have electricity and have been living in darkness for years. The district collector inspected the site the next day and instructed Superintendent Engineer N M Bilotia to conduct a survey and complete the electrification work within 15 days. Bilotia, with help from other departments, completed the exercise in around 20-25 days. Bilotia said approximately 2 km of 11 kV line, 1 km of low-tension line, 2 single-phase lines, 25 kV transformers, and 38 new electric poles were installed. The entire work was carried out on rocky and hilly terrain. Under PM-JANMAN, or Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan, the Sahariya families have also received the government nod for permanent houses. PM-JANMAN caters to improving the socio-economic conditions of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
New Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Delayed census hit tribal welfare in Andhra: Expert
VISAKHAPATNAM: As the country awaits the next population census, originally due in 2021, the absence of updated data has become a hindrance for tribal development in Andhra Pradesh. 'With newly formed districts such as Alluri Sitarama Raju and Parvathipuram Manyam housing a large tribal population, the delay in the census is making it increasingly difficult to plan and implement welfare schemes effectively,' opined Chetti Praveen Kumar from Agro-Economic Research Centre, Andhra University. According to the 2011 Census, Scheduled Tribes (STs) accounted for around 5.3% of the erstwhile united AP's population. Since then, several administrative changes, including the bifurcation of the State, have altered demographic patterns, particularly in tribal-dominated areas. 'The lack of updated census data means that local planning still relies on decade-old statistics, limiting the accuracy and reach of welfare programmes,' Praveen explained. The allocation of funds under the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) is largely dependent on ST population. This strategy, guided by the proportion of STs in the population, determines financial planning for schemes related to education, healthcare, housing, and forest rights. 'Without recent population figures, fund allocation is based on estimates, affecting the quality, and targeting of services on the ground,' he noted. Praveen stated that tribal communities in AP, including Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), rely on accurate population mapping for various entitlements. 'In areas such as Visakhapatnam Agency, many hamlets still lack official recognition due to the absence of updated habitation data.
Indian Express
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Centre's outreach to tribal people can be starting point for bottom-up development. But it won't be easy
On June 15, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched an outreach programme, targeting around 1 lakh tribal-dominated villages, to ensure doorstep delivery of two welfare schemes: Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA). It aims to provide tribals with basic documents like the Aadhaar and Ayushman Bharat cards, title under the Forest Rights Act, pension accounts, as well as Jan Dhan accounts, while helping them to get enrolled in the existing schemes. The campaign's objectives — to make tribal populations aware of the existing schemes while promoting 'participatory governance through community mobilisation' — are commendable. But there will be challenges. In the past couple of years, the Union government has taken measures to bridge the developmental gap between tribal populations and the rest. The PM JANMAN was launched in 2023, targeting the socio-economic development of 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) across 18 states and one UT. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched DAJGUA, which aims to fill the infrastructural gaps in 63,843 villages. Large sections, however, have yet to receive the benefits of the schemes. While difficulties in reaching geographically inaccessible terrain is a major barrier, landlessness remains a concerning issue, especially for the PVTGs. In November 2024, President Droupadi Murmu flagged it; she asked NITI Aayog to facilitate land provision in tribal areas. Another challenge is getting the required documents for accessing different schemes. Reports published in this newspaper in October 2024 showed how many from the Katkari Adivasi communities in Pune struggled to get the birth and death certificates necessary for accessing welfare benefits under the Tribal Sub Plans (TSP). The reason cited was the non-recognition of their village after displacement due to the construction of the Dimbhe Dam in 1984. In the decades after Independence, millions of tribal people have been displaced by dams, mines, wildlife sanctuaries and industries. A sustained effort is required to understand their special predicaments and needs. For that, governance must be prioritised over political symbolism. This outreach campaign can be a starting point.
United News of India
20-06-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Wave of development has reduced Naxal menace to less than 20 districts: PM
Bhubaneswar, June 20 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that Naxalism will soon be completely eradicated from the country, crediting his government's developmental push in tribal areas for the decline in extremist violence. Addressing a gathering on the occasion of the BJP government's first anniversary in Odisha, the Prime Minister said that before 2014, more than 125 tribal-majority districts across India were impacted by Naxalite violence. He pointed out that these tribal regions were long unfairly labeled as part of the 'Red Corridor' and had been neglected by previous governments, which declared them backward and left them behind. 'In the last few years, our government has worked to bring tribal communities out of a climate of violence and onto a path of development,' Modi said. 'We have taken strict action against those who spread violence, and simultaneously, launched a new wave of development in these areas.' As a result, he stated, the influence of Naxalism has now been reduced to fewer than 20 districts across the country. Expressing confidence, Modi said that with the current pace of development and enforcement, tribal areas will soon be entirely free from the shadow of violence. 'This is Modi's guarantee,' he declared. The Prime Minister emphasised that empowering tribal communities, fulfilling their aspirations, and easing their hardships remains a top priority for his government. He highlighted that for the first time, two major national schemes have been launched specifically for tribal development, with a combined outlay exceeding Rs1 lakh crore. Modi elaborated on the first initiative — Dharati Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, under which development work is on in more than 60,000 tribal villages across India. "In Odisha too," he noted, "we are building houses for tribal families, constructing roads, and providing electricity and clean drinking water." Discussing the second major scheme, PM Janman Yojana, the Prime Minister said the inspiration for the initiative came from Odisha itself, and acknowledged the guidance of the country's first tribal woman President, Droupadi Murmu, in shaping the program. He said the scheme focuses on supporting Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), and that development work worth hundreds of crores is currently being carried out in remote tribal hamlets under this scheme. UNI DP SSP
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
HRF demands immediate restoration of doorstep delivery of rations in tribal areas
The Human Rights Forum (HRF) has raised serious concern over the State government's decision to dismantle the doorstep delivery system for distribution of rations. According to Y. Rajesh, HRF AP State general secretary, and V.S. Krishna, HRF AP& Telangana Coordination Committee member, it a setback to the food security of the Adivasi communities. Introduced in 2021, the doorstep delivery model ensured rations were handed over directly to beneficiaries through mobile dispensing units (MDUs), even in remote habitations. This reduced the travel burden for the elderly, persons with disabilities and daily wage workers. In Adivasi areas - especially among the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) such as the Chenchus resident in Nallamala forests - this system was a critical step towards ensuring ensuring they were able to access the welfare delivery. At several places, Adivasis are now forced to walk up to 10 km across difficult terrain to access rations. Consequently, many of them are having to forgo their rations altogether because of a clear logistical and financial burden. The State government's claim that beneficiaries were missing rations under the doorstep system is in contrast to evidence on the ground. A field survey by LibTech India, a policy research organisation, covering 790 Adivasi respondents in the Paderu ITDA region of Alluri Sitharamaraju district found that 83% preferred the doorstep delivery system over the depot system for collecting rations. Notably, 92% stated that it had reduced travel distance. While 75% of respondents said that under-delivery was a recurring issue at depots, 65% experienced coercion to purchase additional items. Clearly, for many Adivasi families' residing in remote areas, the doorstep system removed significant travel barriers to access ration supplies. The doorstep delivery system also allowed flexibility. If a household missed the first MDU visit, they could collect their ration from the mini-truck parked later at the local secretariat. In some instances, the trucks returned again within the month. However, instead of strengthening these mechanisms, the present government has chosen to abandon them entirely. The HRF leaders allege that the recent rollback appears to have been driven by a powerful lobby of ration depot dealers who felt threatened by the transparency and accountability introduced by the MDU system. The current decision subverts the core objectives of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, in particular Section 30, and also violates the spirit behind the Scheduled Tribe Componen t(STC) funds that aim to ensure targeted and equitable delivery of welfare services to the Scheduled Tribes. They demanded the immediate restoration of the doorstep ration delivery system across all Adivasi areas, with a provision for depot access to those who miss the MDU. The door delivery model must be strengthened through improved logistics, volunteer support and robust grievance redressal mechanisms.
