Odisha Govt Focuses On Livelihood, Education & Culture For Tribals’ Inclusive Growth

Bhubaneswar: In order to ensure inclusive growth of SC, ST, OBC and minority households in Odisha, the state government has taken up programmes covering major aspects of life including livelihood, education and indigenous culture.

This was revealed at the ongoing senior officers’ conference in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. The conference highlighted the best practices in the districts of Nabarangpur, Gajapati and Rayagada on these themes.

It was stressed that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s vision of inclusivity aims at not only ensuring growth channels for all 62 tribes including 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) in the state but also ensuring preservation of their culture and identity.

For promotion of education of these groups, it was stated in the event that the ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare department currently operates 1,735 dedicated SSD schools with more than 4 lakh students and provides hostel facilities to more than 5 lakh students. Recently, 500 plus smart classrooms were established in 422 high schools to improve the quality of education. At present, the government provides pre-matric scholarship amounting to Rs 550 crore to 5 lakh boarder students and Rs 275 crore of post-matric scholarship to more than 4 lakh students.

Similarly, the government’s ANWESHA programme is designed to provide English medium education to ST&SC students in CBSE & ICSE syllabus by admitting them in different English Medium Public Schools in urban areas or areas adjacent to urban local bodies. Around 21,000 students are currently covered under the programme.

Besides, 8 AKANKHYA hostels have been established in Khurda, Ganjam, Sundargarh and Sambalpur districts for providing free lodging to ST&SC students perusing post-matric education at Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Rourkela & Sambalpur.

It was also stated in the conference that livelihood promotion has been considered as one of the important components of tribal development since 2005. In order to ensure it, the state has undertaken several steps including Mission Jeevika, Van Dhan Vikash Karyakram and OPELIP.

While Mission Jeevika for Livelihood Cluster Promotion has benefitted more than 2.4 lakh people, the Van Dhan Vikash Karyakram has 48,673 beneficiaries in 18 districts. OPELIP is designed to enhance livelihoods and food and nutrition security primarily for the PVTG households and is currently benefitting around 39,000 PVTG farmers.

For promotion of indigenous culture and preservation of tribal identity, the government has formed 9 Special Development Councils. These councils operate the State Tribal Museum and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Research Training Institute besides organising annual Adivasi Mela, Sargifula and national level crafts and dance melas.