On Sunday, a significant policy announcement was made at Jamshedpur with President Droupadi Murmu acknowledging that the Union Government will incur expenditure of 24,000 crores on the welfare and development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) around the nation. This was declared in the course of her visit to the city, which was followed by visits to the events associated with tribal culture and heritage.
Speaking to a big crowd, the President stated that the project is expected to enhance the holistic and inclusive development of the most underprivileged members of the tribal Indians. The funds will be used in a mission-mode programme targeting some of the long-term issues in the past, such as inadequate basic infrastructure, inadequate access to health and education and low livelihood opportunities that the PVTGs face.
PVTGs are the most disadvantaged tribal populations in India, with most of them residing in remote and inaccessible areas. There are low literacy levels, high levels of poverty, and poor accessibility to other basic services like shelter, drinking water, sanitation, electricity, and roads in these groups. The President observed that the development of such communities cannot just be done through financial aid, but on a sustainable basis, improving the quality of life.
President Murmu noted that the 24,000 crore mission would prioritize the delivery of basic amenities, education, healthcare services, skill building, and livelihood support, and also safeguard the tribal culture, traditions, and languages. She emphasized the need to empower tribal communities without diminishing their sense of identity by pointing to cultural heritage as a source of pride and power.
The announcement was given on the centenary celebrations of the Ol Chiki writing system and a writing system of Santali. By emphasizing the importance of language and culture conservation, the President called on the tribal families to share their native language and cultures with younger generations, at the same time adopting modern education and skills towards development.
The program is based on the current activities of the government to empower the tribal people, such as the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN), which is aimed at enhancing the living standards of the PVTG habitats in the whole country. The government officials noted that the new announcement is a boost to the government’s efforts to make sure that development has been made available to the marginalized, who have been decades behind.
The 24,000-crore project is likely to save thousands of tribal families in the country and is considered one of the biggest directed investments that target the welfare of the vulnerable tribes in the country in recent years. It is important to note that the President concluded her speech by reiterating that inclusive growth is at the core of India’s development vision, and it is important to focus specifically on populations that must have it most.
