Rs 1,838 crore proposals presented before 13th Finance Commission

Bhopal, June 8 (UNI) The Madhya Pradesh government has presented proposals worth more than Rs 1,838 crore before the 13th Finance Commission for development of tribes and primitive tribes in the state.

The Centre has praised the proposals prepared by Madhya Pradesh.

Besides, it has asked other states to prepare their proposals as per parameters of Madhya Pradesh's proposals, an official release said here today.

A two-day meeting of all the states' principal secretaries and secretaries connected with primitive tribes' welfare was organised at New Delhi by the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry.

The meeting was also attended by Principal Secretary (Tribal Welfare) O P Rawat, Commissioner Tribal Development Jaideep Govind and Director (Primitive Tribes Clustre) R S Khare.

The meeting discussed the proposals to be presented to the 13th Finance Commission in connection with primitive tribes' development.

The proposals presented to the 13th Finance Commission by the Madhya Pradesh Government included provision of houses for the homeless to families belonging to scheduled and primitive tribes, arrangement of clean drinking water in their habitats, provision of nutritious diet to undernourished children from Anganwadis, mobile health clinics, agriculture development programmes, horticulture and dairy development etc.

The proposal presented for providing houses to homeless primitive tribal families envisages expenditure to the tune of Rs 130 crore.

Funds amounting to Rs eight crore have been sought for provision of clean drinking water and Rs six crore for provision of nutritious diet for Anganwadis existing in the concerning areas, Rs five crore for extending agriculture development assistance to five thousand primitive tribal families having less then five acres of land and Rs 1.50 crore for horticulture (Badi Project) to those families who have less than five acres and Rs eight crore 70 lakh has been sought for dairy development.

Similarly, proposals seeking Rs 21 crore heve been presented for construction of houses for employees/officers working Tribal Sub-Plan areas, Rs 120 crore for boosting economic condition of families getting forest rights and Rs 5.5 crore has been sought for giving various incentives and facilities to the employees posted in tribal areas.

At the meeting, the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry agreed to the stance of the Madhya Pradesh Government that no increase has been affected in the funds under Special Central Grant and Article 275 (1) proportionate to the funds allocated for Tribal Sub-Plan of State Plan and these funds be increased proportionately, the release added.

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