BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government is all set to undertake the first-ever comprehensive door-to-door survey of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) to ensure targeted delivery of welfare schemes to the most marginalised tribal communities in the state.
The survey to be conducted through a mobile-based digital application with real-time monitoring will help generate an authentic and updated database of PVTG households and individuals.
Odisha has the highest number of PVTGs in the country, with 13 distinct groups recognised out of the 75 identified nationwide. The groups include the Bonda, Dongria Kondh, Juang, Kutia Kondh, Chuktia Bhunjia, Saora, Paudi Bhuyan, Birhor, Hill Kharia, Mankidia, Lodha, Didayi and Lanjia Saora communities that largely inhabit remote forested and hilly terrains.
The survey findings will be integrated with the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN), which seeks to ensure saturation of basic facilities for PVTGs.
As per the latest micro projectwise data under PM-JANMAN, Odisha has 68,702 PVTG households with a population of 3,11,760 spread across 14 districts. Keonjhar district has the highest concentration (91,384), particularly Banspal block, which alone accounts for 13,576 households and a population of 68,313.
Sources said the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) is developing a dedicated digital platform to systematically capture household-level and individual-level data on entitlements and scheme coverage. It is also implementing measures to ensure that construction of pucca houses under PMAY-G and PM-JANMAN does not erode traditional tribal housing patterns, cultural identity and heritage.
Regional manuals have been developed for several states in consultation with local communities, engineers and architects. The states have been asked to prioritise designs and use locally available materials and traditional construction methods, even in pucca structures.
The ST & SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare department is in the process of selecting an agency to carry out the survey across identified districts. Trained surveyors and supervisors will visit habitations under 20 micro project agencies, collect data using handheld devices and assess coverage gaps under key central and state welfare schemes.
Officials said strict timelines will be enforced to complete the exercise within 35 days once the implementing agency is finalised. “It is expected to eliminate duplication and exclusion errors that often hamper welfare delivery. The database will help map scheme coverage across housing, health, nutrition, education, drinking water, livelihood, social security and land rights,” an official said.
As per MoTA data, 41,138 households in the state have been found eligible for houses under PM-JANMAN. The state has been allocated a target of 41,182 houses, of which 41,138 houses have been sanctioned. So far, 28,383 houses have been completed.