Hold monthly meetings to sort out issues of tribal population: Farooq Khan to DCs

Srinagar: Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Farooq Khan today stressed upon all the Deputy Commissioners to at least hold a meeting each month to look into the issues and obstacles hindering affairs and projects concerning the tribal population of their districts.

He emphasised upon them to assign priority to the issues of this population so that they are resolved immediately. He asked them to sensitize all their sectoral officers about the vitality of such matters so that this section of the population also rises to the ladder of holistic progress registered throughout nation simultaneously.

Advisor Khan reviewed the progress made so far in each of the projects and Tribal Sub Schemes (TSS) taken up under the Tribal SubPlan (TSP) with the Special Central Assistance (SCA).

The meeting was attended by Secretary Tribal Affairs, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary; Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Aijaz Asad; Additional PCCF; Directors of Horticulture; Directors of Sheep Husbandry; MD J&K Housing Board; Chief Engineers of PWD, JKPCC and CPWD.

All other Deputy Commissioners and Jammu based officers attended the meeting through video conferencing.

Advisor Khan asked all the DCs to first complete all the pending projects and submit utilization certificates against each of such projects. He further directed to frame DPRs for all the projects identified under several central schemes or Capex budget at an earliest so that work on these projects is started in the ensuing work season.

Khan also urged all the officers to take up the issues they face with the concerned administrative department so that these issues are resolved forthwith. He asked each of the DCs to prioritize these issues so that a substantial change is seen on ground regarding the overall development of this chunk of population.

Khan impressed upon the officers that this population is generally resource less. These pertains to their day to day matters therefore deserves their utmost attention for making their lives easy. He asked them to review establishment of residential schools, hostels, employment & income generation units coming up for this population in their areas.

He asked them to facilitate this population in every manner. Make seeking of education, scholarship, medical aid and employment affordable for them. He urged the DCs to make the movement of the nomadic population easy and protect their rights guaranteed by the law.

The Secretary Tribal Affairs asked the DCs submit the DPRs of projects as per the proposed format so that the necessary Administrative Approval and Technical Sanction is accorded to them. He asked them to establish the required seasonal schools in their districts so that the class work starts there. He urged them to look for alternate accommodations where the projects would take time in completion.

The Secretary asked the DCs to identify land for all the new residential schools, hostels, research institutes wherever requisitioned. He asked them to simplify acquisition of scholarships for tribal students as per new GoI guidelines. He directed the executing agencies to pace up work on construction of Tribal Museum and Directorate office.

The meeting was informed that there are some 27 cluster tribal model villages developed across J&K against which a central share of Rs 108 crores are to be spent. Moreover milk villages in 10 districts having sizeable population of tribals are established at an estimated cost of Rs 14.40 crores with milk chilling plants for value addition at Rs 100 lacs, the meeting was informed.

It was also given that community halls at 8 locations for tribal population are coming up at Rs 3.50 crores. Many Eklavya Model Residential Schools are nearing completion while few more are to be established soon, the meeting was informed. More than half a dozen ST/G&B hostels are nearing completion and would be made functional in near future.

In order to make the education reachable to the children of nomadic population a total of 1516 seasonal centres were established during 2020-21 engaging 1748 educational volunteers. These centres imparted education to 32547 migratory children accruing the expenditure of more than Rs 10 crores.

In addition to this the TSP envisages providing of road connectivity facilities, drinking water facilities, power facilities to the tribal villages for which funds are earmarked each year under SCA to be spent as part of TSS. The motive is to bridge the gaps in sectors like education, health, agriculture, skill development, employment-cum-income generation, etc in favour of this section of population.