Odisha Governor urges empathetic approach in tribal development initiatives
Bhubaneswar, Aug 23 (UNI) Odisha Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati today urged government officials to adopt a humanitarian and empathetic approach while implementing welfare schemes for tribal communities.
The Governor made this appeal during a day-long interaction with field-level officials of the ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Department, Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department, and the Forest, Environment & Climate Change Department at Raj Bhavan.
The meeting was attended by ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Minister Nityanand Gond, Forest, Environment & Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, along with senior officials of the concerned departments.
Key issues discussed included Eklavya Model Residential Schools, scholarships, the Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006, Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Minor Forest Produce (MFP), Article 275(1), PM-JANMAN, Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, and verification of fake caste certificate cases.
Explaining the objective of the programme, Dr. Kambhampati said, “The purpose of this meeting is to assess how government schemes are being implemented at the grassroots level and to identify the challenges faced.”
He directed officials to dispose of all pending FRA patta applications within 90 days. On the issue of evictions, he stressed that alternatives must be explored before taking any action. He also sought details of the mechanism used to verify fake caste certificates.
The Governor asked officials to ensure that no eligible student is denied scholarships and enquired about measures to improve the performance of ST & SC Development Department-run schools.
On MFP procurement, Dr. Kambhampati emphasized the need to go beyond traditional auctions, eliminate middlemen, and ensure that tribals receive fair prices. He also encouraged the promotion of MSMEs to process forest produce.
Highlighting connectivity challenges, he set a target of achieving 100 percent mobile network coverage in all villages. He further called for increased awareness of social security schemes such as PMJJBY, PMSBY, and Atal Pension Yojana.
“We cannot compel people to enroll, but we must ensure they understand the benefits. Current efforts in this regard are inadequate,” he noted, urging officials to prepare a concrete action plan.
The Governor also suggested promoting rooftop solar systems in tribal households and instructed timely preparation of annual reports.