Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a ₹ 24,000
crore scheme aimed at holistic development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal
Groups (PVTG) on the occasion of ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ on November 15 in
Jharkhand, official sources said on Monday.
The scheme – PVTG Development Mission – will be a huge
step towards the empowerment of tribals, they said, adding that this will be a
first-of-its-kind initiative.
In the 2023-24 budget, the scheme was announced for
improving socio-economic conditions of the PVTG.
In 2021, the Modi Government announced that the birth
anniversary of revered tribal warrior Birsa Munda, who was born in Jharkhand,
will be commemorated as the Janjatiya Gaurav Divas.
According to officials, there are 75 PVTG in 18 states
and Union territories living in 22,544 villages spread across 220 districts
having a population of around 28 lakhs.
These tribes stay in scattered, remote and
inaccessible habitations, often in forest areas and hence the mission has been
planned to saturate PVTG families and habitations with basic facilities such as
road and telecom connectivity, electricity, safe housing, clean drinking water
and sanitation, improved access to education, health and nutrition, and
sustainable livelihood opportunities, they said.
The mission will be implemented through the
convergence of 11 interventions of nine ministries under a host of existing
welfare programmes covering rural roads, rural housing and drinking. Some
scheme norms will be relaxed to cover these remote habitations, the officials
said.
In addition, saturation coverage will be ensured for
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna, Sickle Cell disease elimination, TB
elimination, 100 per cent immunisation, PM Surakshit Matritva Yojana, PM Matru
Vandana Yojana, PM Poshan and PM Jan Dhan Yojana, among others.
PTI
