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YEAR END REVIEW 2004
The year 2004 ends at a sad note for the tribal communities of Andaman & Nicobar. Even as the damage to the tribes by destructive Tsunami Waves is being assessed, Minister for Tribal Affairs Shri P R Kyndiah has rushed a team of officials and experts to the islands and the Ministry is preparing a rehabilitation package for the tribals. The 5 primitive tribes of Andaman & Nicobar are a part of world social & anthropological heritage and every effort is being made to safeguard them and their habitats.
The year saw the change in approach towards tribal welfare by the ministry. Here are the highlights of those changes: -
1. The Cluster Approach:
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has asked State Government to identify thrust areas and prepared scheme based on land and water management. Under this cluster approach, the focus will now be on schemes that enhanced income generating activities and creating infrastructure of the tribal villages. This will help in uplifting entire village, instead of distributing aid to individual families, which spreads the resources too thin. The Ministry has decided to fund schemes for watershed development, minor irrigation, horticulture, food processing and creation of infrastructure for storage, medicinal plants preservation and propagation and branding and marketing of handicrafts.
State Governments have been requested to prepare a comprehensive land based plans for overall development of Scheduled Tribes by taking up the developmental activities including minor irrigation on lands owned by STs. A process of consultation with the State governments at the regional level has also been initiated so as to have State-wise in-depth discussion. The first regional Conference to approve such projects for the Western Region was held at Udaipur on 3rd August this year. The second regional Conference to approve such projects for the Central region was held at Raipur, Chhattisgarh on 10th September. Meetings were also held at New Delhi for sanction of projects under SCA to TSP and Article 275(I) of the Constitution. Such a process of consultation was undertaken for the first time.
2. Insurance Coverage:
In order to provide social security to group of Primitive Tribal Groups, the Ministry had decided to provide them benefits of insurance coverage under "Janshree" scheme of Life Insurance Corporation of India in a phased manner. For the year 2004-05, it has been decided to extend insurance coverage to one lakh families in 16 States for a period of five years and, for this purpose, an amount of Rs.5 crore has also been released to the States.
3. Expansion of Village Grain Banks schemes:
The existing Village Grain Bank Scheme was revised to cover endemically drought prone areas and other tribal areas throughout the country. Under this Scheme, the Village Grain Banks will be set up in all such tribal areas which suffer from chronic food scarcity.
4. Focus on Development of Van Grams:
The Ministry has identified the development of tribal forest villages as the Priority Agenda item for the year 2004-05. Of the total number of 2690 forest villages reported by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, only 167 villages have so far been converted into revenue villages and get the benefits of all development schemes. Special focus is being accorded to the development of forest villages by allowing various developmental activities for tribals living in forest villages. An amount of Rs.450 crores for the Xth Plan period has been asked from the Planning Commission for the development of nearly 3000 forest villages.
5. Conferment of Ownership rights over MFP to Tribals:
The CMP of UPA government has a commitment to get the ownership rights of the minor forest produce to the tribal people. The Ministry asked the State Governments to take immediate action to confer ownership rights in respect of Minor Forest Produce including Tandu Patta by defining minor forest produce under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA). PESA provides for the ownership of Minor Forest Produce to the Gram Sabha. The Ministry has asked to State to define the Minor Forest produce in such a way that it includes "all" the traditional produce of the tribals.
6. Task Force to address tribal issues set up:
The Planning Commission has constituted a Task Force under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Planning Commission to address all issues relating to tribal development including minor irrigation on tribal lands, more livelihood opportunities. A Sub Group has also been set up under the Chairmanship of Secretary (Tribal Affairs) to suggest measures for overall development of STs and affirmative action outside Government.
7. Transparency:
The Ministry re-constituted a Projects Screening Committee with Non-Official Members to examine and recommend proposals for funding of NGOs etc. The steps has been taken to strengthened the monitoring mechanism for the various projects sanctioned to the NGOs.
The Ministry also started a Quarterly News Letter entitled "Janjatiya Jagran" on 15th October this year, with a view of keeping the public informed of all the programmes and policies of the government in the field of tribal development.
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