Union Cabinet Approves Rs 79,156 Crore Plan to Boost Tribal Welfare

The Union Cabinet, led by PM Modi, has sanctioned the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan with a budget of Rs 79,156 crore to enhance tribal communities' socio-economic conditions. This initiative aims to fill gaps in education, healthcare, and livelihood through government schemes, benefiting over 5 crore tribal people.

The Union Cabinet, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan, amounting to Rs 79,156 crore. This ambitious program aims to improve the socio-economic conditions of tribal communities by ensuring comprehensive coverage for tribal families in villages with a high tribal population and in aspirational districts. The Central Government will contribute Rs 56,333 crore, while states will provide Rs 22,823 crore.

According to an official release, the program will cover around 63,000 villages, impacting more than 5 crore tribal people, as stated in the Budget Speech for 2024-25. It will span 549 districts and 2,740 blocks across all tribal-majority villages in 30 states and union territories. India has a Scheduled Tribe (ST) population of 10.45 crore, as per the 2011 census, covering more than 705 tribal communities living in remote, hard-to-reach areas. The initiative aims to bridge critical gaps in social infrastructure, health, education, and livelihood through various government schemes, promoting comprehensive and sustainable development based on the success of the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PMJANMAN).

The mission includes 25 interventions to be implemented by 17 ministries, each responsible for relevant schemes, through the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST) over the next five years. Goals include infrastructure development, economic empowerment, and universal access to quality education, healthcare, and dignified aging. Tribal villages covered under the Abhiyan will be mapped on the PM Gati Shakti Portal to identify and address gaps in scheme-specific requirements. Progress will be monitored via the PM Gati Shakti platform, with awards for best-performing districts.

After discussions with states and stakeholders, the Abhiyan has introduced innovative schemes to boost livelihood and income in tribal and forest-dwelling communities, featuring tribal homestays, sustainable livelihoods for forest rights holders, upgraded facilities in residential schools and hostels, advanced sickle cell disease diagnostics, and tribal multipurpose marketing centres. Designed based on the success of PMJANMAN, launched on Janjatiya Gaurav Divas on November 15, 2023, with a budget of Rs 24,104 crore, the Abhiyan focuses on the PVTG population.

The Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan exemplifies cooperative federalism, embodying a whole-of-government approach to achieve comprehensive and sustainable welfare through convergence and outreach for tribal communities. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)