Indian Tribal News Service
Bhopal
Asserting that the Government was of the poor, Scheduled Tribes, Dalits and Backward Classes, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the decision to change the status of 827 forest villages into revenue villages at one go will bring a big change in the lives of the tribal community.
“You are going from here with a feeling that you also have a share in the State,” he said while addressing the mega Van Samiti Sammelan’ here with Union Ministers from Madhya Pradesh and State leaders in attendance.
The Union Home Minister said it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who increased the allocation of funds for the welfare of tribal communities drastically after coming to power. “This is a government of the poor, Scheduled Tribes, Dalits and Backward Classes. During Congress government’s time, only Rs 21,000 crore were provided for the welfare of (tribal) people, but after Modi came to power in 2014, it has been enhanced to Rs 78,000 crore,” Shah said.
He also unveiled a plaque announcing the change of status of 827 `forest villages’ into `revenue villages’. There was a demand that these areas be declared revenue villages to ensure their development as there are restrictions on undertaking projects in forest areas.
He said the Scheduled Tribes constitute 21 percent of Madhya Pradesh’ population and the State’s welfare cannot happen till the time the well being of its tribal community is not ensured. The State GDP increased by 200 percent in MP in the last 10 years, he pointed out and assured that all the promises made to the tribal community will be fulfilled.
Shah further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has resolved to provide houses to all by 2022; the mission to ensure electricity to every household and a toilet has been completed while the water supply scheme is in progress and will finish by 2024.
For his part, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said from today onwards the process of distributing 20 percent bonus to tendu leaves collectors has started. “An amount of Rs 125 crore will be transferred to the bank accounts of 22 lakh poor tendu leaves collectors. Forest dwellers will also get adequate compensation at times of natural disasters. The revenue villages will lead your land to be documented, land records will be made,” he stressed.
Several Union ministers including Jyotiraditya Scindia, Prahlad Patel, Faggan Singh Kulaste and L Murugan besides Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, his cabinet colleagues Vijay Shah, Bhupendra Singh, Narottam Mishra and Vishwas Sarang, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijaywargiya and state BJP chief V D Sharma were among those present.
