Finance
From this year, the state government has decided to provide needy ST/SC students from poor families with a one-time financial aid of Rs 50,000 in any government institution in the state.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made the remark while speaking to the Tribes Advisory Council meeting here on Tuesday.
“My government has been taking sustained interventions to improve the socio-economic conditions and realize the educational needs of our tribal communities. Education, livelihood and protection of their rights have been our focus area,” he said.
According to Naveen, his government has established Special Development Councils (SDCs) to promote, safeguard, and preserve tribal culture and customs, heritage, and identity through involving tribal people.
This year, the program has been expanded to 172 blocks across 23 districts, serving over 84 lakh indigenous people, he said.
Adding that education is key to socio-economic upliftment, the Chief Minister said, “Odisha is one of the leading states in providing residential facilities to tribal students. Hostel facilities are available to more than 6 lakh students from 4.2 lakh households in 1735 schools functioning under the SC, ST Development department.”
In the last 20 years, the number of high schools under the department has almost doubled, increased from 215 to 422. Similarly, 62 higher secondary schools have been opened, he stated.
“Odisha is considered as a pioneering state in the implementation of Forest Rights Act, the CM stated.
The state has introduced a new scheme called ‘Mo Jungle Jami Yojana’ to ensure that all qualified ST forest inhabitants get the right to own and live on forest land. He stated that it will assure the acknowledgement of community rights to forest land.
In addition, the CM stated that his administration has launched its own financed scheme, the Mukhya Mantri Jeevika Mission, which is one of the largest exclusive tribal livelihood promotion efforts.
With a budget of Rs 500 crore, the scheme will provide assistance to 1.5 lakh tribal households in the state’s 121 tribal sub-plan (TSP) blocks over a three-year period, from 2022-23 to 2025-26.
The state has proposed to the union government that the Odisha PVTG Empowerment & Livelihoods Improvement Programme be expanded for implementation in newly notified 1,138 PVTG villages for a period of 7 years from 2024-25 onwards, he informed.
Source:OCN
