NEW DELHI: The NDA government has decided to set up National Tribal Advisory Council under chairmanship of the Prime Minister for real time monitoring of various tribal development programmes and schemes in the country.
This was announced by Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram while addressing the conference of senior officers of tribal welfare from states here.
"A National Tribal Advisory Council under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be set up for real time monitoring of the ongoing programmes and schemes aimed at welfare of tribal people and development of tribal areas. The Council will meet once or twice a year," Oram said.
The Minister also stressed the need for more effective community participation for the success of various tribal welfare schemes. He said though there has been significant improvement in terms of infrastructure in education sector for tribals but the quality of education has not improved in the same way.
Oram said the same is true with reference to primary health care for tribals.
Referring to the problems of sixth scheduled states of northeast, Oram said their problems are quite different in nature and we should hold a regional conference for them in Guwahati. The Minister directed his Ministry officials to release 50 per cent of the tribal welfare funds to the states in the first quarter of the next financial year. He said by third quarter of the financial year 80 per cent of the funds should be released to the states.
The Minister urged the state governments to release the funds received from the centre in the same way for various tribal welfare schemes. On the rights of tribals, Oram said states need to expedite proposals for declaration or rationalisation of scheduled areas by making them co-terminus with the tribal sub-plan areas. States should also safeguard against sale of land to non tribals, he added.
Under Forest Rights Act, states need to take steps for vesting of forest rights, both in individual capacity as well as for the community as a whole.