Forest right Claims should be redressed in Madhya Pradesh before September 15

Bhopal :Minister for Tribal Welfare Sushri Meena Singh instructed officers that the forest right claims, rejected in the past in the state should be redressed before September 15 compulsorily. She said that the pattas of tribals who are dwelling on forest lands since long time should be considered as valid. Minister for Tribal Welfare Sushri Meena Singh was addressing the meeting of departmental officers of Indore and Ujjain division through video conferencing at Mantralaya today. Scholarship, housing assistance and status of admissions in hostels was also reviewed in the meeting.

Tribal Welfare Minister said that a decision has been taken to re-verify the forest right claims rejected in the past. The state government has placed this work in its top priority. She further mentioned that these rejected claims are being redressed by the committees formed at village, sub-division and district level. She also instructed the district officers to conduct site inspection along with revenue and forest officers. In Indore and Ujjain divisions, so far 3600 claims have been considered valid out of the total claims rejected in the past. Principal Secretary Smt. Pallavi Jain Govil has informed that the department has sanction Rs. 50 for re-verification of each rejected claim. She asked the officers to do the digitalization of claims rejected in the past compulsorily.

Review of Scholarship and Hostels

In the meeting, distribution of post-matric scholarship in Indore and Ujjain divisions, meant for students belonging to tribal category was reviewed. It was informed in the meeting that an amount of about Rs. 76 crore has been distributed last year through MPTAAS software in 55 thousand 523 cases of scholarship. Tribal Welfare Minister Sushri Meena Singh instructed the officers for transferring scholarship amount in the accounts of students in time. Commissioner, Tribal Welfare Shri B. Chandrashekhar has instructed that hundred percent admissions should be ensured on sanctioned seats in hostels. New directives have been issued to the departmental officers in this regard. Arrangement has been made to give admission to 70 percent students of tribal category and to the students of scheduled caste, backward class and denotified category on 30 percent seats in hostels of scheduled tribe category. This arrangement will help in increasing social harmony among the students.

Directives to increase public participation

Principal Secretary Tribal Welfare Smt. Pallavi Jain Govil instructed the departmental officers that public participation should be increased in functioning of departmental hostels. She further stated that gardening and sanitation programme should be promoted among students and by increasing public participation in hostels.