10 years of Telangana: BRS government accorded top priority for tribal welfare

HYDERABAD: Reiterating its commitment for the welfare of the tribal people, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Government under the able leadership of the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) has brought revolutionary reforms by providing educational, social and economic facilities since the formation of the State in 2014.

The BRS government has taken up a slew of initiatives for the upliftment of tribals on all fronts. Right from allocating a special fund for comprehensive tribal development, giving gram panchayats status to tribal hamlets to building infrastructure in hamlets and providing free electricity for ST households and for agriculture.

Some of the unique schemes of the State government are :

Scheduled Tribe Special Development Fund

The State government has enacted a Scheduled Tribe Special Development Fund (SDF) Act and a whopping outlay of Rs.75,450 Crores has been provided under SDF out of which Rs.47,258 Crores have been spent so far for the development and economic empowerment of the ST communities.

Self-Governance and Empowerment of STs

As many as 3,146 Tribal Gram Panchayats are in the State (almost 25% of the total Gram Panchayats in the State). This dedicated focus ensures planned development in these Tribal Gram Panchayats.

The 27,682 elected representatives from tribal community includes 3,146 tribal sarpanches, 5 mayors / chairpersons and the remaining ward members / counsellors and strengthening the good governance by the tribal community.

All the tribal gram panchayats are provided with gram panchayat buildings.

Each of the tribal gram panchayats are provided with a tractor, community park, modern cremation ground and a dumping yard thereby leading to overall development in these tribal gram panchayats.

ST Development - Leading From the Front

The government built 32 Girijan Atma Gaurava Bhavans (Aadivasi, Girijana and Banjara) covering all ST dominated districts and constituencies.

Three Phase Current Supply -All ST Habitations

Free power supply is ensured for all ST Households (up to 101 units)/ST Habitations

Outstanding Electricity charges till 2014 were completely waived off.

Three-phase electricity for all ST Habitations and Power is supplied free for Agriculture.

ST Education Empowerment

As many as 808 Tribal Educational Institutions including 183 Tribal Gurukuls were set up in the State.

The State government's Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi providing Rs 20 lakhs per student covers 237 ST students.

Healthcare for STs

A total of 2,28,089 ST mothers were benefited by KCR kit by providing Rs.13,000 per head and a health kit.

To tackle malnutrition, "Giri Poshana Scheme" is implemented at all Tribal Anganwadi Centres

Preserving and Celebrating the Tribal People

State celebrates annually the birth anniversaries of the Adivasi freedom fighter Kumram Bheem and Social Activist Sevalal Maharaj.

Sammakka and Saralamma Jatara is Asia's biggest Tribal Fair organised by Telangana government, apart from organising Nagoba Jatara, Jangubai Jatara, Bourampur Jatara, Erukala Nancharamma Jatara, Gandhari Maisamma Jatara etc.,

Two tribal museums - Kumaram Bheem at Jodeghat and Sammakka Saralamma museum at Medaram have been constructed by the state government with Rs.22.53 crore.

ST Farmers Empowerment

A total of Rs 7,354 crores of Agriculture capital investment assistance is provided to 8,23,780 ST farmers and Rs.10,000 per acre per annum provided to farmers under the Rythu Bandhu scheme.

All the ST farmers are covered for personal insurance under Rythu Bima Scheme.

All the ST Habitations are covered by assured drinking water supply under "Mission Bhagiratha Scheme

Welfare schemes for STs

The government provides Rs 1,00,116 for every ST girl under Kalyana Lakshmi scheme towards her marriage. A total of 1,36,730 ST girls benefitted with a total outlay of Rs.1,127 crores so far.

A monthly pension of Rs.2,016 is given under Aasara pension to eligible STs covering 3,75,316 ST beneficiaries.

Accessibility to ST Habitations

To improve connectivity, 1,682 Scheduled Tribes Habitations are connected with BT roads spending Rs 1,276 crores in 8 years.

Telangana Government has allocated Rs.1,000 Crores for road connectivity to 2,090 hamlets this year.

Special provision of Rs 133 crore is given for internal CC Roads in Tribal Habitations

Increasing ST Reservation

The State Government has passed a bill for increasing the ST reservation from the existing 6 to 10 percent and the bill is pending with the Government of India for the Presidential assent.

The government has earmarked five percent reservation for STs while allocating excise shops.

Komaram Adivasi Bhavan

As a tribute to the Tribal freedom fighter Komaram Bheem, the Telangana government constructed a building named as Komaram Bheem Adivasi Bhavan in one acre plot at Banjara Hills, Hyderabad with a cost of Rs.24.68 crore.

Sevalal Banjara Bhavan

As a tribute to the Tribal freedom fighter Sevalal Maharaj, the Telangana government constructed a building named as Sevalal Banjara Bhavan in one acre plot at Banjara Hills, Hyderabad with a cost of Rs.24.43 crore.