MoEF directs state governments to develop tribal villages

Shillong, Nov 22 (UNI) The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has directed the state governments to take comprehensive steps to improve the basic infrastructure in the tribal villages in their respectives areas.

The condition of the tribals living in the forest villages was very precarious, as they did not get the benefit of various welfare schemes and the jurisdiction of the block and revenue authorities did not cover forest villages, a statement said.

There are around 3,000 forest villages in the country, out of which more than 500 villages have been converted into revenue villages during the last four years.

In the North East region, there are about 499 forest villages in Assam, 85 in Mizoram, 62 in Tripura and 23 in Meghalaya.

UNI