Latest news with #ParticularlyVulnerableTribalGroups
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Rainwater harvesting transforming tribal lives in Srikakulam, Parvathipuram districts
SRIKAKULAM: In the remote agency and rural pockets of Srikakulam and Parvathipuram Manyam districts, a silent revolution is taking root—one that nurtures not just the soil but livelihoods. Over the past 15 years, VIDYA Foundations, an NGO committed to environmental sustainability, has been working closely with tribal communities, mentoring them in rainwater conservation techniques that are yielding remarkable results. The NGO has guided villagers in constructing rainwater-harvesting pits and stone bunds, designed to trap and store rainwater from natural springs flowing through gravity-fed slopes. These innovative yet simple structures allow water to seep into the earth, revitalising soil health and ensuring long-term agricultural sustainability. For farmers in Nallarayiguda, Yeguva Regidi, Isukalaguda, and Dokulaguda—inhabited by some of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)—this initiative has been a game-changer. With improved water retention, they have expanded their crop cultivation, growing turmeric, cashew, and pineapple. This transformation is both ecological and economically sustainable, empowering these communities by providing financial stability and preserving traditional farming methods while integrating modern water conservation techniques. 'We used to cultivate crops traditionally, but now we are gaining knowledge on systematic cultivation through water conservation and protection of soil health, which are key requirements for successful farming,' say tribal farmers Kondagorri Rajayya, Kondagorri David, Biddika Singammi, Savara Tulasi, and Biddika Appa Rao. VIDYA Foundations is going beyond conservation. By promoting entrepreneurship among farmers, the NGO, alongside agencies such as NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency), is facilitating the setting up of MSMEs to process and brand cashew and turmeric products. This shift from farming to agribusiness is fostering self-reliance among tribal groups and paving the way for a sustainable, community-driven economy. 'We are promoting farmers in agency areas as entrepreneurs by establishing MSME units for processing, packaging, and branding of cashew and turmeric products with institutional support,' says Prasad Udanda Rao, Chief Executive Director of VIDYA Foundations. What was once seen as a challenge—unpredictable rain patterns—is now being transformed into an opportunity. The farmers are not only securing their futures but also strengthening the ecological balance of their homeland.
Hans India
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Immediate continuation of doorstep delivery system for PDS sought
Visakhapatnam: Even as the Andhra Pradesh government decided to do away with the door delivery method of supplying essential commodities to beneficiaries under public distribution system (PDS) from June and restore the previous system of dispensing them through fair price shops, it did draw flak from various sections of society. However, the door delivery system was scrapped following a survey that indicated that a section of ration cardholders did not receive essential commodities, discrepancies in the supply mechanism, operational challenges, diversion of goods, lack of manpower to operate vehicles, etc., Expressing concern over the Andhra Pradesh government's recent scrapping of the doorstep delivery system for public distribution of rations, Human Rights Forum (HRF) representatives mentioned that the move will severely undermine the food security of Adivasi communities, particularly those in remote and interior villages of the state. Introduced in 2021, the doorstep delivery model ensured rations were handed over directly to beneficiaries through mobile dispensing units (MDUs), even in remote habitations. This dramatically reduced the travel burden for the elderly, persons with disabilities and daily wage workers. In Adivasi areas, this system was a critical step towards accessible welfare delivery, especially among the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), stressed HRF AP state general secretary Y Rajesh and AP and TG coordination committee member VS Krishna. At several places, Adivasis are now forced to walk up to 10-km across difficult terrain to access rations. The State government's claim that beneficiaries were missing rations under the doorstep system does not align with evidence on the ground, the HRF team pointed out. In fact, a field survey by LibTech India, a policy research organisation, covering 790 Adivasi respondents in the Paderu ITDA region of Alluri Sitarama Raju district found that 83 percent preferred the doorstep delivery system over the depot system for collecting rations. Notably, 92 per cent stated that it had reduced travel distance. While 75 per cent of respondents said under-delivery was a recurring issue at depots, 65 per cent experienced coercion to purchase additional items. Clearly, for many Adivasi families' resident in remote areas, the doorstep system removed significant travel barriers to access ration supplies, the HRF members emphasised. HRF opined that a dual-access model with MDUs as the primary channel and depot-based backup access for those who missed the truck could have been sustained. HRF demanded immediate restoration of the doorstep ration delivery system across all tribal areas, with a provision for depot access to those who miss the MDU. The door delivery model must be strengthened through improved logistics, volunteer support, transparency and robust grievance redress mechanisms.
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Tribal Affairs Minister highlights achievements in 11 years of NDA government
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram on Monday (May 26, 2025) launched a booklet on the 'major achievements' of the initiatives of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in the past 11 years of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre (2014-2025), leading with the government's declaration of the 150th birth anniversary of tribal icon Birsa Munda as the 'Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh', and recently launched programmes for the saturation of basic schemes in villages inhabited by Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). At the event to launch the booklet, Mr. Oram responded to questions on the ₹72,000 crore Great Nicobar Island infrastructure project, saying that complaints about the alleged violation of forest rights, and the controversy over the process of procuring the gram sabha's consent for forest diversion was 'under examination'. 'Whatever documents have been submitted are under examination. It cannot be said what stage it is at right now,' Mr. Oram said, responding to questions. It was not immediately clear which aspects were under examination. 'There are multiple aspects on these issues — one is whether gram sabha was held, whether their recommendation was received, and whether process was followed. Another aspect is the Environmental Impact Assessment. Our Ministry's purview deals with just the process of gram sabha, and other aspects are dealt with by other Ministries,' Mr. Oram said. The infrastructure project on the Great Nicobar island has been mired in controversy since it received preliminary clearances in 2022. Soon after the project was said to have secured the consent of local tribespeople, the Tribal Council of Little and Great Nicobar withdrew the consent it was said to have granted. The National Green Tribunal, and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes had subsequently also raised concerns over due process for the consent procedure and the environmental impact of the project. Speaking on the achievements of the Tribal Affairs Ministry in the past 11 years, Mr. Oram said that the booklet was 'thorough' but 'it is important for me to mention this progress'. He added that a lot of the Ministry's initiatives, especially in planning health interventions, were initiated when he became the first Union Tribal Affairs Minister in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and later when he took the position again in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first term. 'This work has been continued through the years by my fellow colleagues as well,' Mr. Oram said. In the booklet on the achievements, the government begins with the declaration of Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh from November 15, 2024 to November 15, 2025, which is being marked with national and State-level events. This was a top promise in the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) manifesto for marginalised sections ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Going through the booklet, the Minister then proceeded to speak on the PM JANMAN programme, which is a basic scheme saturation package that brings housing, healthcare, nutrition, road connectivity, power, and drinking water interventions to 75 PVTG communities across 19 States and Union Territories across the country. The Ministry added that, under the package, 4.35 lakh houses had been sanctioned, of which 1.04 lakh houses had been completed. Electrification of over 1.4 lakh households had been sanctioned, of which electrification of 1.05 lakh had been completed. The Ministry said that other interventions, including setting up the Van Dhan Vikas Kendras, business training sessions, mobile medical units, and multipurpose centres, had also been initiated. Further, '596 villages saturated with interventions', the Ministry said. The Minister also spoke about the Dharti Aba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, a scheme saturation package designed on the lines of the PM JANMAN package to saturate ST villages with 25 interventions by involving 17 line Ministries. The Ministry also went on to highlight the Eklavya Model Residential School scheme, which has been revamped and centralised in the past half-a-dozen years. The Ministry's booklet also spoke of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act or FRA. It spoke of having 'achieved a remarkable 412.71% increase in the distribution of Community Forest Rights titles, thereby strengthening tribal self-governance'. According to the text of the Act, the burden of implementing the legislation falls on the respective State and Union Territory governments. Apart from this, the booklet outlines other schemes of the Ministry, including scholarships it administers for ST students, the Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana, promotion of tribal-made products through the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation, a mission for 'Tribal Health Enhancement', support to Tribal Research Institutes, and special attention given to tribal freedom fighter museums.
New Indian Express
14-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Telangana government accepts Governor's recommendation on houses for vulnerable tribals
HYDERABAD: The state government will be sanctioning houses to people belonging to the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PTVG) across the state in saturation mode under the Indiramma Housing Scheme. The government will also be transforming Hyderabad slums by building three-storey housing complexes. According to Housing Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, the state government has identified 9,395 PTVG families in the Integrated Tribal Development Authority (ITDA) areas. It has also decided to allocate an additional 20 per cent of houses to eligible ST families. Speaking to TNIE, Srinivasa Reddy said that Governor Jishnu Dev Verma had recommended housing for PVTGs. The move is aimed at providing permanent housing to the PVTG community. 'As the Governor is the custodian of Sixth Schedule areas, we will respect and implement his recommendations,' he said. 'The PTVG families living in Utnoor, Bhadrachalam and Eturnagaram ITDAs would benefit from this initiative,' he added. Meanwhile, Srinivasa Reddy instructed Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao, Housing Development Department MD VP Gautam and Hyderabad District Collector Anudeep Durishetty to expedite the process of identifying suitable sites for building Indiramma houses in Hyderabad. 'We have studied the Mumbai model and realised that three-storey buildings are a successful model for providing housing for the poor. But the purpose is defeated when the number of floors exceeds three,' he said. The minister said that the slum dwellers will be eager to shift to the houses built for them if the government constructs permanent houses with all facilities. He pointed out that around 19,000 houses sanctioned during the previous BRS regime remained unoccupied to this day as the beneficiaries were not interested in moving into those houses. 'I don't want to make a similar mistake,' he added.
United News of India
03-05-2025
- General
- United News of India
Telangana Governor flags off eco-friendly livelihood initiative for tribal communities in Telangana
Hyderabad, May 3 (UNI) The Governor of Telangana, Jishnu Dev Varma, flagged off vehicles carrying machinery for the production of eco-friendly leaf plates and cups, which are to be distributed to tribal villages. This initiative, funded through the Governor's Discretionary Grants, aims to support the livelihoods of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PvTGs). The flag-off ceremony took place at Raj Bhavan, Hyderabad on Saturday, a Raj Bhavan communique said. Following the event, the Governor interacted with young members of PvTG communities, including those undergoing training in leaf plate production and as nature guides. These efforts are part of a broader mission to enhance sustainable livelihood opportunities for indigenous populations. A group of 32 local youth, primarily from the Chenchu community—known for their deep-rooted connection with the forest—have been trained as nature guides at The Naturalist School in Bengaluru. With ₹15 lakh in support from the Hon'ble Governor allocated for the Nagarkurnool district, the program is designed to help these youth gain meaningful employment while enabling tourists to experience the Nallamala forest's cultural richness and biodiversity. In his address, the Governor highlighted the cultural importance of tribal communities, describing them as the original guardians of nature. He reiterated his commitment to improving their quality of life through focused and inclusive development initiatives. He remarked that Adivasis live beyond the boundaries of caste, creed, or religion, and that their lives are deeply intertwined with nature and guided by time-honoured traditions. Living with simplicity and minimal needs, they derive contentment not from material wealth, but from their harmonious relationship with the natural world. Commending the enthusiasm and potential of tribal youth, the Governor stated, 'These are not favours, these are your rights. This is your time,' encouraging them to seize emerging opportunities for growth and empowerment. The event was attended by several senior officials, including M. Dana Kishore,Principal Secretary to the Governor; Dr G. Narendra Kumar, Director General, NIRDPR; Dr A. Sharat, Secretary, Tribal Welfare; Badavath Santhosh, Collector of Nagarkurnool; Rohit Gopidi, Project Officer, ITDA (Chenchus); and Dr A Ramulu, CEO, Indian Red Cross Society (Telangana). Representatives from Leaf Plate Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Raj Bhavan, and Red Cross district units from Nagarkurnool, Bhadradri Kothagudem, and Adilabad were also present. UNI VV ARN
