SRINAGAR: Expressing serious concern over under-utilization of funds allocated for upliftment of tribal population in the State, Advisor to the Governor, Mr. Khurshid Ahmed Ganai, Friday issued directions to the Tribal Affairs Department to accelerate spending under its different schemes of the State and Central Governments.
The Advisor said the schemes envisaged for development of tribal population should show discernible change on ground so that they get access to key services like education, health, roads, jobs, agriculture and allied sectors.
The Advisor made these observations while reviewing the functioning of the Tribal Affairs Department. Secretary Tribal Affairs, Mr. Abdul Majeed Bhat, Director Tribal Affairs, Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad and other senior officers of the Department attended the meeting.
Urging for a big push to achieve earmarked targets under various schemes, the Advisor observed that enhanced spending in core sectors like education, health, dairying, sheep husbandry and animal husbandry, skill development and traditional sectors like agriculture and horticulture will provide a much needed level playing field to the tribal people and immensely benefit in scaling up their standard of living. “Tribal population constitutes nearly 12 per cent of the total population in the State. The holistic development of the State would be difficult if the Tribal population continues to lag behind in key indicators.”
Flagging the issue of unspent balance of Rs.104 crore revalidated for the year 2019-20 under centrally-sponsored schemes as an area of grave concern, Ganai, who is Advisor in-charge Tribal Affairs, exhorted the Department to work in mission mode so that approved funding under Special Central Assistance (SCA) to TSS, Article 275(1) and pre and post-matric scholarship to ST students is expended in full. “The Central Government has been extremely liberal in providing funds and we need to match that by improving our spending ability” he stated.
Describing the performance under State Capex Budget 2018-19 as equally unsatisfactory, the Advisor said he will closely monitor head-wise spending so that expenditure under proposed outlay of Rs.6.54 crore is booked in full.
The works programme for the year 2019-20 under Capex Budget under Tribal Affairs Department envisages land acquisition and construction of hostels in Udhampur, Kathua and Kalakote, up-gradation of VTC at Kangan, development of Cluster Tribal Model Villages and Milk villages in the State.
On the issue of under-staffing in the newly-created Tribal Affairs Department, the Advisor directed Secretary Tribal Affairs to take up the matter with General Administration Department for filling up of all these posts in a time bound manner. The Government has created 56 posts including those of District Tribal Welfare Officers in 6 districts with substantial Tribal population, Tribal Officers in 16 other districts and ministerial staff which shall go a long way in execution and monitoring of projects and schemes for up-liftment of Tribal population in the State. However, many of these posts were still unfilled.
During the meeting, the Director briefed the Advisor about various components of the Centrally sponsored schemes. He informed the meeting about the progress achieved under SCA and Article 275(1) vi’s-a-vi’s development of cluster Tribal model villages, establishment of milk villages, Eklavya Model Residential Schools and construction of hostels.
The Advisor asked Director (TAD) to closely coordinate with the executing agencies for time-bound completion of ongoing projects. He also highlighted the need to liaise with the Deputy Commissioners for monitoring works programme and making soft interventions in the larger interest of the tribal communities.
