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The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan with a total outlay of Rs 79,156 crore to improve the socio-economic conditions of tribal communities by adopting saturation coverage for tribal families in tribal-majority villages and aspirational districts.
The Central Government will contribute Rs 56,333 crore, while the states will provide Rs 22,823 crore towards the programme. According to an official release, this will cover around 63,000 villages, benefiting more than 5 crore tribal people, as announced in the Budget Speech 2024-25. It will encompass 549 districts and 2,740 blocks spread across all tribal-majority villages in 30 states and union territories. India has a Scheduled Tribe (ST) population of 10.45 crore, as per the 2011 census, with more than 705 tribal communities spread across the country, living in remote and hard-to-reach areas. The Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan aims to fill critical gaps in social infrastructure, health, education, and livelihood through different schemes of the Government of India by ensuring convergence and outreach. It seeks to promote the holistic and sustainable development of tribal areas and communities, based on the lessons and success of the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PMJANMAN), the release stated. The mission comprises 25 interventions, which will be implemented by 17 ministries. Each ministry or department will be responsible for implementing its relevant schemes in a time-bound manner through funds allocated under the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST) over the next five years to achieve the following goals: developing enabling infrastructure, promoting economic empowerment, and universalising access to quality education, healthcare, and dignified ageing. The tribal villages covered under the Abhiyan will be mapped on the PM Gati Shakti Portal, with gaps identified by the relevant departments for scheme-specific requirements. The physical and financial progress will be monitored through the PM Gati Shakti platform, and the best-performing districts will be awarded. Based on the specific needs of tribal areas, and after discussions with states and other stakeholders, the Abhiyan has introduced innovative schemes to promote livelihood and generate income among tribal and forest-dwelling communities. These include tribal homestays, sustainable livelihood for forest rights holders, infrastructure improvements in government residential schools and hostels, advanced facilities for the diagnosis of sickle cell disease, and tribal multipurpose marketing centres. The Abhiyan has been designed based on the lessons and success of the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN), which was launched by the Prime Minister on Janjatiya Gaurav Divas on 15 November 2023, with a budget of Rs 24,104 crore, focusing on the PVTG population. The Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan is a unique example of cooperative federalism, embodying a whole-of-government approach to achieving saturation through convergence and outreach for the welfare of the people. (ANI)
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