Q. What have been the implications of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act, 2002?
Justice, Justice to more than one hundred communities, who waited for decades to get themselves listed in the schedule of the Constitution. They will get all preferential benefits and constitutional protections. Let us note that, this summary revision of tribes on such a large scale has been undertaken after more than 25 years.
Q. 84 Eklavya Model Residential Schools, 420 hostels, 277 Ashram Schools, 183 Educational Complexes for girls, 1400 kms. Of roads in tribal areas and many other physical achievements in three and half years is quite impressive. You must be a satisfied person now?
For about a crore tribals, who not only are dispersedly settled all over India in remote localities and having diverse needs, the work done is not sufficient, even if we take into account the efforts made by respective State Govts. from their own budget. But the speed at which we performed is breath taking. This shows that this Govt. is sincere and hard working to serve the tribal communities.
Q. There is perceptible increase in budget allocation and expenditure by your Ministry. The increase is about 70 percent over the year 1999-2000. Is it sufficient?
As per the Tribal Sub-Plan Approach, all Central Ministries earmark funds in proportion to the percentage of tribal population and all the States earmark funds in proportion to the respective tribal population of the State. All these funds combined are huge. But we are more interested in institution building and modifying the institutional/organizational set-up to provide maximum benefit to tribals.
Q. What institutions are built?
First of all, the inception of this Ministry to give focused attention to the welfare of STs is the greatest initiative taken by the present government. Secondly, we set up a new Finance Corporation, a National Commission for Scheduled Area and Scheduled Tribes and a separate Commission for Scheduled Tribes - a permanent Constitutional body.
Q. What institutional and organizational changes are introduced and why?
Increased availability of funds for developmental programmes is a necessary condition to achieve welfare of tribes, but not the sufficient condition. We introduce incentive/disincentive package along with release of financial resources to bring about institutional and organizational changes to adopt Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) concept in true sense and empower the tribals by implementing the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Area), Act, 1996. Secondly, we change the byelaw of Trifed to make it competitive, effective, and efficient and act as a true Apex Co-operative.
Q. Scheduled Tribes are a disadvantaged group, socially and economically and politically. Does your Ministry treat all of them equally, while implementing schemes?
Tribal society is heterogeneous. And we have need based-differentiated schemes and programmes. Even within tribals, there are groups/ communities that are in most disadvantaged position. For poor tribal women we provide loan at low rate of interest to set-up their own commercial ventures. For Primitive Tribal Groups, we have an integrated scheme. Even for tribals settled in dispersed and distance location, we have separate component with in special Central Assistance to States.
Q. What measures have been adopted to support the displaced tribes?
Yes, this government has great empathy for the project-affected tribals, as they, not only loose land and other economic assets, but also their customary rights. It is a great satisfaction that, the National Policy on the Resettlement and Rehabilitation of Project Affected Families 2003 has been approved by the Cabinet. This will take care of the tribal PAFs as additional monetary and other benefits would be made available. |
