Prime Minister interacts with beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN)

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) across the country, via video conferencing today. The beneficiaries who interacted directly with the PM belonged to Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, which have major Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) communities and population.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister also released the first instalment of Rs. 540 crores in bank accounts of PVTG beneficiaries across 19 States and UT, for construction of 1 lakh pucca houses under the rural housing scheme Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G).

The Prime Minister, in his address, mentioned that the PVTG communities were deprived of their benefits for past 75 years and now the government has finally through PM-JANAMAN scheme is constantly working for providing them the basic amenities like pucca house, water, electricity, road and mobile connectivity, MMU, Aadhar card, Ayushman card, etc.  The Prime Minister also thanked the officers who have worked hard through outreach camps and helped in providing benefits of various schemes at the door step of persons residing in remotest locations.  He also mentioned how different Ministries of Government of India are working together for the welfare of these most backward communities. (Detailed Release: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1996220)

Expressing happiness on the work being done in mission mode under PM-JANMAN mission, Union Tribal Affairs Minister, Shri Arjun Munda expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Prime Minister for his emotional, sensitive and focussed approach for ensuring that historically deprived tribal families get justice through the PM-JANMAN campaign. He informed that out of 22,500 PVTG villages, 17,443 have joined today’s event.

 

The Minister said that more than 8,000 camps were organized within 2 months in remote areas of the country, including mountainous and border areas. In these camps, benefits like issuance of Aadhar cards, Ayushman Cards, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana funds, Kisan Credit Card, Forest Rights Act leases, opening of PM Jan Dhan Yojana accounts, caste certificates and ration cards, among others, have been given to the most backward tribal populations in the country.

Shri Munda further thanked all the concerned Union Ministries and State governments associated with this mission that have worked tirelessly for 2 months to sanction projects worth Rs. 4769 crores that have been approved by the Prime Minister today. Looking at the speed with which all the Ministries have worked together, Shri Munda expressed confidence that more than 50% of the schemes would be approved in this financial year itself. This, he added, is an excellent example of the ‘Whole of Government’ approach of the Government of India towards ensuring overall development of the tribal people.

The projects sanctioned would improve infrastructure of PVTG habitations and villages are as follows:

 

Shri Munda talked about some innovative steps that have been taken in this mission. He informed that the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED), in collaboration with National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) and Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), has worked in the direction improving business skills of the PVTGs. Also, work is being done in collaboration with TRIFED and ITC for marketing of tribal products, he added.

The Minister said TRIFED has purchased products worth about Rs 2.5 crores from PVTG families and has organized Tribal Artisan Melas in the last 2 months, wherein products worth about Rs. 50 lakhs were purchased. Revitalizing of natural water springs is being undertaken in 100 remote areas in collaboration with UNDP, he added. Further, Shri Munda informed that in Maharashtra, through the efforts of Ministries of Tribal Affairs and Agriculture under Community Forest Projects, 2.5 lakh land leases under Forest Rights Act have been linked to the portal of Kisan Samman Nidhi.

In his opening remarks, Secretary (Tribal Affairs), Shri Vibhu Nayar, welcomed the Prime Minister and other dignitaries, along with the lakhs of PVTG people connected virtually from across the country. He informed that in less than 45 days, the Government has reached the doorsteps of PVTG tribal population in over 100 districts and enrolled them under the benefits of prominent welfare schemes.

In last 25 days, the efforts have resulted in making of new Aadhar Cards (72,141), Ayushman Bharat card (82,417), PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna (26,668), Ration Card (31,370), Kisan Credit Card (19,479), PM Jan Dhan Yojana accounts (37,308), Forest Rights Act Pattas (10,396), Caste Certificate (49,916), among others.  The data shows that due to remoteness of locations and lack of road and digital connectivity many habitations and persons were completely left out of benefits of flagship schemes.

Events were held simultaneously at more than 100 districts which were attended by over 30 Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of States at different location across the country. The dignitaries included Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan; Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles Shri Piyush Goyal; Minister of Culture, Tourism and North East Affairs Shri G. Kishan Reddy; Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Labour and Employment Shri Bhupender Yadav; Minister of State(I/c) for Law & Justice and MoS, Culture, and MoS Parliamentary Affairs Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal; Minister of Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat; Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Shri Giriraj Singh; Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar; Minister of State for Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of Health, and Family Welfare Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar; Minister of State for Tribal Affairs and Jal Shakti Shri Bishweswar Tudu; Minister of State for Ministry for Information & Broadcasting, Fishery, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Dr. L. Murugan among others.

Links to Videos of Prime Minister’s interaction with PM-JANMAN Benficiaries: