Telangana: Work for welfare of STs, ST Commission member tells officials

National ST Commission member Ananta Nayak has asked the authorities to take steps to ensure that tribals get benefitted through the laws

Khammam: National ST Commission member Ananta Nayak has asked the authorities to take steps to ensure that tribals get benefitted through the laws, schemes and policies of the Central and State governments.

He held a meeting here on Tuesday with district Collector VP Gautham, Commissioner of Police Vishnu S Warrier and Bhadrachalam ITDA PO Gautam Potru to review the measures taken for the tribals welfare.

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Nayak suggested that as tribals do not articulate their problems properly, the field officers should understand their problems, know what they want and do justice to them. The Forest Rights Act has to be implemented strictly to make tribals aware that they were the rightful owners of the forests.

He reviewed the goals and progress achieved by ST Finance Corporation, provision of basic facilities like roads, drainage and others in tribal hamlets, allotment of double bedroom houses, progress of ST atrocity cases, Central and State schemes.

The Collector Gautham, CP Warrier and ITDA PO Gautham explained about the schemes, policies and measures being taken for the welfare of STs in the district through a powerpoint presentation.

They said that there were 1,633 educational institutions at primary, higher and college level in the district with 1. 93 lakh students and of them 35,308 were ST students. The schools have been provided all basic facilities under Mana Ooru Mana Badi programme.

In 2022-23, about 22,674 antenatal care (ANC) registrations took place and of them 3,742 were STs. Of the 9,882 child deliveries in government hospitals, 1,927 were STs, all of whom were provided KCR Kits.

Under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, 49,056 farmers were given investment support of Rs. 10,000 each and 507 families of ST farmers were paid Rs. 25.35 crore under Rythu Bima from 2020, the officials told the ST Commission member.

There were six ST Gurukuls under the ITDA and ST 3,019 boys and girls were studying in the gurukuls. There were two sports schools being run exclusively for STs. Coaching for competitive exams has also been given to ST students, the officials said.