Two days ahead of the crucial polling in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a few massive tribal outreach programmes in neighbouring Jharkhand. Tribal community is a decisive factor in the poll-bound states.
Modi travelled to Ulihatu Village, the birth place of tribal icon Birsa Munda, to launch the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, a programme aimed at the saturation of the government schemes. The Yatra is aimed at reaching out to tribals, creating awareness and providing benefits of welfare schemes like essential financial services, electricity connections, access to LPG cylinders, housing, food security, nutrition and healthcare.
The prime minister flagged off publicity vans marking the launch of the Yatra which will start from districts with significant tribal populations. Similar vans will be flagged off by important dignitaries like governors, chief ministers, union ministers, ministers of state among others from 68 districts across the country with significant tribal population. By January 25, 2024, the Yatra will cover all districts across the country.
In the second programme, the prime minister launched PM JANMAN or PM Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan – a programme for the ‘Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups’. There are 75 PVTGs in 18 states and Union Territories living in 22,544 villages (220 districts) having a population of around 28 lakhs.
Under PM JANMAN, Modi said, the government will reach out to tribal groups and primitive tribes who still live in forests. The government is going to spend Rs 24,000 crores on this mega campaign which aims to provide the PVTG families habitations with basic facilities such as road and telecom connectivity, electricity, safe housing, clean drinking water and sanitation, improved access to education, health and nutrition and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
In the third announcement, Modi released the 15th installment of Kisan Samman Nidhi with an amount of about Rs 18,000 crores. It will reach the bank accounts of more than 8 crore beneficiaries. Under the scheme, till now, more than Rs 2.62 lakh crores have been transferred to farmers’ accounts in 14 installments.
The BJP has promised to give an additional Rs 6,000 every year to farmers in Madhya Pradesh apart from the Centre’s installment of same amount under the Kisan Samman Nidhi.
