Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said in the fiscal 2022-23, a sum of Rs 11,199 crore was allocated in the budget for the welfare of tribal communities in the state and asserted his government was determined to bring them into the mainstream by providing educational, social and economic facilities.
He said election of Droupadi Murmu as the President of the country was an important step in overall development of the tribal society.
Shinde was virtually addressing adivasis at a function in Palghar district on the occasion of the International Day of the World's Indigenous People, also called World Tribal Day.
Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state government is continuously working for the welfare and development of the weaker sections of the society, including Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities, he said.
There are 1.05 crore tribals in Maharashtra and the government is paying special attention to their progress, said the chief minister. A slew of measures are being implemented to raise the living standard of the tribal population. These steps are being executed in 6,262 villages across 16 districts, said Shinde.
Through the Tribal Development Department, accommodation, education, food and other necessary facilities have been made available in government-run ashram schools (residential schools for ST students), the CM said.
About 2.50 lakh students are studying in 556 aided ashram schools, while nearly 21,000 tribal pupils have been provided financial assistance for higher education through different government schemes, he said.
A scheme will be implemented in Delhi and Pune in collaboration with private institutions to provide training to students from the tribal communities who are preparing for Union Public Service Commission examinations, Shinde said.
(With PTI Inputs)
