HP to spend Rs 309 crore on tribal areas, says CM

Shimla, May 12 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said his government will spend a sum of Rs 309.05 crore on developmental activities in the tribal areas of the state during this financial year.

Presiding over the 36th state level HP Tribal Advisory Committee meeting here, he said the government had earmarked nine per cent of its annual budget on developmental activities in the Tribal areas of the state every year.

Out of the total of Rs 309.05 crore, Rs 159.84 crore had been provided under Tribal Sub Plan, while an additional amount of Rs.

149.21 crore would be spent under Non Plan provisions, he said.

Mr Singh said funds for tribal areas were increasing every year and developmental activities were being carried out at an accelerated pace and in a time-bound manner.

The government had also directed the authorities not to divert the tribal funds to other heads, he said.

The Chief Minister said his government had set up Integrated Tribal Development Projects (ITDPs) in all the tribal areas of the state and local MLAs have been appointed as chairmen who were convene meetings regularly.

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