Govt committed to safeguard the rights of tribal communities: LG

New Delhi/ Jammu, Nov 15: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Friday said that the government was committed to safeguarding the rights of the tribal communities.

Joining the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas celebrations at Convention Centre Jammu, the LG reiterated the commitment of the government to safeguard the rights of the tribal communities, promote and preserve their cultural and linguistic heritage, and provide equal opportunities across the sectors.

“My aim has always been to protect the interests of tribals and improve the welfare of women and youth from the community,” he said. “For the first time, the welfare of tribal communities, who were excluded from mainstream development for several decades, have been kept at the centre of government’s development agenda.”

LG Sinha said that implementation of Forest Rights Act; ‘Pradhan Mantri Van-Dhan Vikas Yojana’; ‘Van Dhan’ Self Help Groups, ‘Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana’, allotment of 5 marla land to ‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (G)’ eligible landless tribal beneficiaries, new tribal hostels, smart schools, special scholarships, and many more such initiatives were paving the way for the brighter future of the tribal population.

He said that the IEC campaign of ‘Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan’ would also ensure the effective implementation of the scheme in J&K which would help in saturation of critical gaps in social infrastructure, health, education, and livelihood, and ensure holistic and sustainable development of tribal areas and communities.

Addressing the J&K-level function through virtual mode, the LG paid tributes to freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda and recalled his contribution to the freedom movement and nation-building.

He said that the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas is dedicated to honouring the tribal icon and celebrating the rich culture and glorious history of tribal communities.

The LG highlighted the steps taken by the J&K government in the past 4 years, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to change the lives of tribal communities.

Minister for Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana; Member of Parliament, Jugal Kishore Sharma; Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo; Secretary Tribal Affairs Department, Prasanna Ramaswamy G were also present on the occasion.