Minister for Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana, today called for formulation of concrete proposals aimed at socio-economic upliftment of the tribal communities in Jammu and Kashmir. He was speaking while chairing a meeting held at Civil Secretariat here.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Tribal Affairs, Prasanna Ramaswamy G; Deputy Secretary, Tribal Affairs, Abdul Khabir; Director, Tribal Affairs, Ghulam Rasool and Director Finance Tribal Affairs.
Javed Rana said that the proposals should be reflective of development needs of the tribals with a focus on sustainable development, cultural preservation and socio-economic empowerment. While addressing the meeting, Rana encouraged formulation of proposals through consultative process.
He asked the department that the proposal should clearly establish linkage with the overall development of the community. The Minister emphasised expanded coverage of Dharti Aaba to all tribal villages and targeted efforts to bridge critical gaps in social infrastructure, healthcare, education and livelihood ensuring sustainable growth for tribal communities
He called for expediting fund utilisation and approval of the remaining villages to be covered under Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY). The Minister asked the officers to monitor the progress closely so that the remaining villages are covered under the scheme.
He asked them to submit the utilisation certificates promptly which will bolster our claim to remaining funds and underscore financial discipline. While reviewing the progress on hostels and Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS), Rana called for submission of fortnightly reports on construction so that they are completed within the stipulated time frame.
He also asked them to address issues of dietary expenses in the Hostels being managed by the Department. During the meeting, extensive discussions were held on various proposals including formulation of a comprehensive admission policy and conduct of Hostel Audit, sanction of posts for Hostels managed by the Department to preparation of action plan for implementation of Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana and submission of a detailed proposal for reviewing the Policy for deputation of Wardens/Assistant Wardens/Tutors in Gujjar-Bakerwal Hostels.
It is pertinent to mention that the Minister has recently met Union Tribal Affairs Minister, Jual Oram, in New Delhi and had requested for increased funding for the sector from the Union Government.