President Draupadi Murmu appreciates Telangana govt's tribal welfare schemes

HYDERABAD: President Draupadi Murmu appreciated the Telangana Government for the steps it is taking for the development of the tribal communities in the State.

The President, during her visit to Hyderabad, conducted a review meeting on tribal welfare schemes, especially the programmes taken up for the development of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) at the Rashtrapati Nilayam, Bollaram, in Hyderabad on Thursday.

The President interacted with members of the PVTGs and students who attended the review meeting. Several topics like basic infrastructure, education, medicine, agriculture, and drinking water were discussed.

Secretary of Tribal Welfare Department Christina Z Chongtoo, through a powerpoint presentation, said that there were 10 tribes in the State - Lambadas, Koyas, Gonds, Erukala, Pandanus, Andhus, Kolams, Chenchus, Toti and Kondareddy Tegals, and that there were four Integrated Tribal Development Corporations set up in the State. The secretary also said that the scheduled areas spread over nine districts, which have 3,146 Tribal Gram Panchayats.

The Secretary said agricultural investment assistance of Rs 7,349 crore was provided to 8.5 lakh tribals every year through Rythu Bandhu and safe drinking water was provided to 6,80,000 tribal residents. The President was informed that 437 sub-centers and seven diagnostic hubs were constructed to provide health facilities and said that 31 schools in the tribal areas, special primary schools for Kollamula, Sainik school, special colleges for fine arts for law, and special schools for the handicapped were established.

She also said, "918 tribal students got admissions to higher education institutions and 205 youths were provided support from eight categories under the Chief Minister Entrepreneur scheme, which include five tribal tribesmen, two Chenchus, two This, and one Kolam.Rs. 1,126 crores were spent for financial assistance provided to 1.4 lakh tribal young women under the Kalyana Lakshmi scheme and Rs. 60 crores for internal roads in 440 tribal villages. Rs. 2.39 crore for solar electrification in 53 tribal habitats. Three-phase electricity will also be provided to 3,467 tribal villages at Rs. 221 crores and Gram Panchayat buildings will be allocated to tribal gram panchayats."

The Tribal Welfare Department Secretary said that the Telangana government constructed 5,162 kilometres of roads at 3,275 crores and implemented the Giri Poshan scheme to benefit 16,375 tribal children.