HELPING PVTGs
Programme is targeted to benefit around 62,000 households in the state, says Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
POST NEWS NETWORK
Bhubaneswar, May 14: The state government Thursday announced a special scheme for tribals, styled ‘Orissa PVTG Empowerment and Livelihood Improvement Programme’ (OPELIP), that would provide able support to the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the state.
Unveiling the programme, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, “To ensure livelihood support for PVTGs, this special scheme would be implemented shortly with an overall outlay of Rs 795crore.” He was presiding over the Tribes Advisory Council (TAC) meeting at the Secretariat here.
“The proposed programme is targeted to benefit around 62,000 households in the state,” the Chief Minister said. The state has around 13 PVTGs for whom several projects, including 17 micro projects, had been launched by the state government in the past.
Secretary of ST-SC development and minorities and backward classes welfare department Surendra Kumar said the state government has urged the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to provide funds for the programme. In addition to this, 1,100 more hostels are to be completed for by the end of 2015-16 to be of help to students in tribal areas. Works on these were being carried out on the lines of the 2,200 new hostels that were already constructed.
“Literacy rate among tribal communities has increased from 37 per cent to 52 per cent during the last one decade,” the Chief Minister said, adding, “The percentage of students securing 1st division in Matriculation exams in residential schools under the ST-SC development department has increased from 14 per cent to 42 per cent in the last five years.” He also noted that the state government was providing around Rs 600crore by way of pre-matric and post-matric scholarships to almost 20lakh students.
As many as eight different issues were discussed at the TAC meeting.
