New Delhi
Continuing with its tribal outreach efforts, the Narendra Modi-led Government on Tuesday announced the launch of a new scheme for the benefit of adivasis.
Tabling the Union Budget, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan. Sitharaman said the new initiative seeks to improve the socio-economic conditions of tribal communities. It will cover 63,000 tribal villages, benefitting 5 crore tribals, she announced.
Noting that an overall ‘Saturation Approach’ is proposed to be adopted for inclusive human resource development and social justice, she further said that the scheme will adopt saturation coverage for tribal families in tribal-majority villages and aspirational districts.
The Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan is the lone such initiative targeting the tribal community announced this time around.
As part of the BJP-led NDA’s efforts to reach out to the adivasis, the new programme is an addition to the ambitious national schemes like Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission, National Sickle Cell Elimination Mission and Central recruitment of over38,000 teachers and support stafffor Eklavya Model Residential Schools announced in the interim Budget in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls.
The Government allocated Rs 13,000 crore to the Tribal Affairs Ministry in the interim Budget 2024-25, presented on February 1 this year. It is a massive increase of 70 per cent from the allotment in fiscal 2023-24 when the Ministry was allocated Rs 7,605 crore.
Lauding the Budget, Prime Minister Narendra Modi later said, “Union Budget 2024-25 will empower every section of society.” The budget with its new schemes is aimed at strengthening the lives of the middle class, tribal section, dalits and backward classes, he added.
Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram took to ‘X’ to express his gratefulness to the Prime Minister and Finance Minister for the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan.
