Mohit Kandhari (MK): What are the focus areas of the Tribal Affairs Department?
Shahid Choudhary (SC): Education is a key element of tribal welfare. Pertinently, the department itself is at a crucial stage of expansion and development. Efforts are being made for imparting quality education and offering the best facilities to students in tribal areas. This year’s budget is Rs 40 crore.
The department recently launched the ‘Smart Schools’ scheme in tribal areas under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. As many as 200 schools in remote tribal areas have been taken up for modernisation, faculty revamp as well as capacity building. Additionally, six Eklavya Model Residential Schools are coming up, while a proposal for seven more has been submitted to the Centre.
Modernisation of hostels is another initiative being undertaken. Domain experts have been engaged to set up hostel employees and ensure modern facilities; Rs 10 crore was recently provided to modernise 25 hostels and more are coming up.
The scholarship scheme has also been expanded this year at an outlay of Rs 30 crore. The target is to reach around 2 lakh tribal students. Seasonal centres will also be strengthened to provide optimum educational facilities for the transhumant population.
On the healthcare front, the department has made liberal funding available for mobile dispensaries and medical units in coordination with the National Health Mission under a special Tribal Health Plan.
Of course, as always, livelihood remains a focus area this year too. More than 3,000 families have benefitted from the 100% capital investment provided to set up dairy and sheep farms. This scheme is being expanded.
MK: You’ve been on Ground Zero yourself, gathering feedback from the nomads. Please share your experience and how it helped.
SC: Planning for ethnic communities such as transhumant tribals is possible only after an in-depth ground assessment and extensive stakeholder consultations. We started by reaching out to the tribals in extremely remote highland pastures and villages for a first-hand assessment and of course, public feedback.
Many schemes and projects have been initiated upon such feedback, like setting up of a network of transit accommodations and shelters en route migratory paths, 100% government funding for sheep farms with retrieval model, enabling ration supply, mobile healthcare and veterinary facilities, among others.
Based on feedback from Ground Zero, we are also working on clean energy initiatives, providing potable water, educational support and mother and child care, says Shahid Choudhary, Tribal Affairs Secretary, Jammu & Kashmir
MK: What difference has reorganisation of Jammu & Kashmir and abrogation of Article 370 made? How are schemes being implemented now?
SC: Extension of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Rights) Act, 2006, to Jammu & Kashmir has set into motion the process of conferment of rights upon the tribal population to use forests for their bona fide needs and is facilitating building basic infrastructure.
The UT government has provided liberal funding this year for several new schemes aimed at tribal welfare and development. Also, the Integrated Village Development Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana and more Centrally sponsored schemes are expected to be introduced soon as they have recently got the approvals.
MK: What are your goals?
SC: The first and foremost target for the department is to ensure that a robust database is made available for all sectors related to development and welfare of Scheduled Tribes. This needs to be concurrently associated with the plan formulation.
We are also working on research and development, tribal art, culture and literature, education, tangible and intangible heritage. There is also a plan to make a submission to UNESCO for declaring tribal transhumance as a protected phenomenon.
Ensuring that all development and welfare departments formulate Tribal Sub Plans corresponding to the population is another top priority for the department. We intend to concentrate on livelihood and education in tribal areas, among other interventions.
