Orissa announces new schemes for welfare of tribal people

Kalinga Times, April 11, 2007

KalingaTimes Correspondent
Bhubaneswar: Even as the tribal population of Orissa continues to remain backward despite implementation of various welfare programmes in the past, the State Government on Tuesday announced a series of new schemes to ensure their socio-economic development.

The new schemes were finalised at the meeting of the Tribes Advisory Council. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The new programmes include establishment of residential high schools for tribal girls in 10 blocks of the state every year. This will help in opening at least one such school in each tribal-dominated block in three years' time, Patnaik said after the meeting.

The Chief Minister said that the districts Koraput, Rayagada, Kandhamal and Gajapati will be accorded priority under the scheme.

Patnaik further said that in an effort to help the tribal weavers, three training and designing centres would be opened at Sohela in Bargarh district, Saintala in Bolangir and Bangiriposi in Mayurbhanj.

In order to encourage Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes farmers engaged in fishery, the government will increase the per hectare loan amount from the existing Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh with an increase in subsidy from 25 per cent to 50 per cent. However, such loans will be granted to the people through Self Help Groups.

As regards the government's earlier announcement to set up 1000 hostels for tribal girls, Mr. Patnaik said as many as 557 tribal
girls' hostels had been constructed in 2006-2007. The construction of the remaining number of hostels will be completed by the end of June this year, he added.

Besides, Patnaik said that 110 hotels for boys will also be built in the Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput region under the Biju KBK Yojana this year.

Among others who attended the deliberations include the SC AT Development Minister Chaitanya Prasad Majhi, and Giridhar Gamang and Bhagirathi Majhi, both Members of Parliament.