CHENNAI: To upgrade basic amenities in tribal habitations and improve their living standards, the government has allotted Rs 1,000 crore under the scheme ‘Tholkudi’, which will be implemented in the next four years. Roads, potable water, street lights and permanent houses will be constructed in tribal settlements under the scheme.
According to tribal welfare department officials, there are more than 4,500 tribal habitations across the state on 10 hills under the Integrated Tribal Development Programme.
“The rural development department has assessed the basic infrastructure in these habitations and is executing several works. We will also verify requirements and take up works worth Rs 250 crore this year under the scheme. Aim of the scheme is to ensure that tribal hamlets are self-sustainable,” said an official.
The budget also stated that dedicated programmes will be implemented to improve the livelihood of tribal communities as part of the initiative.
A new scheme will be implemented this fiscal year at a cost of Rs 5 crore, wherein 1,000 selected tribals will be provided skill training on latest industrial techniques, with accommodation, through the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation, to create employment opportunities. It may be noted that the department has already sent 150 tribal youth for training to Bengaluru to improve their employability.
The budget also stated that Rs 2 crore has been allocated for documenting and preserving Saurashtra and Baduga languages spoken in Tamil Nadu, along with linguistic resources and phonetic forms of various tribes such as Todar, Kothar, Solagar, Kani and Narikuravar from an ethnographical perspective for the benefit of future generations.
“A committee for this scheme will be formed involving stakeholders including local educated youth. As these languages don’t have scripts, the sound will be documented in both Tamil and English. This is the first time that this is being done structurally,” said a tribal welfare official.
