District planning

The Sukthankar Committee had recommended that the major portion of TSP Outlays should go to local schemes i.e. which directly benefit the tribals, e.g. schemes like minor irrigation, soil and water conservation, rural water supply, link roads, maternal and child health, etc.They need to be given high priority in allocation of funds. Such types of schemes fall under the category of District Level Schemes. While formulating the TSP of 2014-15 conscious efforts have been made to earmark larger outlays for local schemes.

This will be evident from the fact Rs 481492.00 lakh, Rs.261628.80 lakh i.e., nearly 54.34 percent outlay has been provided for District Level Schemes for 2014-15, and an outlay of Rs.219863.20 lakh for State Pool Level Schemes. It was revealed in the review of the Tribal Sub-Plan that the D.P.D.C.s do not provide sufficient outlays for important sectors/schemes related to malnutrition, health, educational backwardness, unemployment, etc. due to certain limitations. The same conclusion are arrived by the Sub Committee appointed by the State Planning Board constituted under the chairmanship of Dr. Jayant Patil, a member of the State Planning Board. This committee has also recommended that some important sectors like welfare of backward classes, education, health, water supply, power development, roads, irrigation, etc., which are really benefitting the tribals need to provide sufficient outlays on priority. In view of the recommendations of the Sub Committee State Government has taken decision in this respect. Accordingly, outlays are being provided from T.S.P. to some of the important sectors on higher percentage as mentioned below From the year 2014-15 2% Outlay is provided for Innovative schemes under district plan :-

It is necessary to give close attention towards Primitive Tribe Groups in the State. Therefore, concened D.P.Cs. are directed to prepare a separate Plan for the development of P.T.Gs., on the population base. It is also stated that separate outlay is carved from the T.S.P.Outlay on the basis of population of the P.T.Gs. The Implementing Officers are instructed to take up the suitable schemes pertaining to the individual beneficiaries to this people.

For the development of hilly areas in the TSP Districts of Thane, Pune, Nashik, Raigad, Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar, Nanded, Yavatmal and Amravati, an outlay has been provided for important programmes like Roads, Primary Health, Drinking water supply, Primary education, Minor Irrigation, Lift Irrigation, Sericulture, Rural electrification, Forests, etc.

Under the MLA's Local Development Program, small works based on the felt needs of the tribal Districts, such as, small road works, missing links, small bridges, primary school rooms, samaj mandirs and similar type of works costing less than Rs 10 lakh, but which do not find place in the District Plans are taken up.

A substantial outlay of Rs.19052.67 lakh has been provided for the Jawahar Rojgar Yojana for providing employment to the needy tribals.

The construction of Ashram School buildings usually takes a long time for completion. It is, therefore, proposed to take up a time-bound programme for the completion of all such works. A Substantial outlay of Rs.22427.60 lakh has, therefore, been included in the TSP for 2014-15 on state level Plan. In addition to this, the Special Central Assistance from the Government of India will also be utilised for this programme.

Under the roads sector, a substantial outlay of Rs.44546.08 lakh has been earmarked under the TSP, 2014-15. Under this programme construction of District roads, approach roads, C.D.Works, link roads, roads leading to ashram schools, tribal basties and primary health centres will be undertaken.

Minor Irrigation projects is given piority in allocation of tribal funds. Therefore, an outlay of Rs.26809.37 lakh (inclusive of state pool is provided for this programme. Rs.1100.00 lakh has been provided for the scheme, comes under the purview of various Irrigation Development Corporations.

Vigorous efforts are being taken to spread education in tribal areas in order to eliminate large-scale illiteracy among the tribals. An outlay of Rs.3699.56 lakh has been provided for this important sector for carrying out various educational schemes, like opening of new schools in school less villages without schools, construction of schoolrooms, appointment of school teachers, attendance allowance to girls to check the drop outs amount girls payment of stipends to students etc.

Considering the type of education required to be given in Ashram Schools, it is necessary that there should be close supervision over what is taught and how it is taught in the curriculum and that teachers in these schools (whether Government run or aided) are trained at regular intervals. For this, the State Government has taken the decision to designate one out of five Ashram Schools as a Kendriya (Central) Ashram School and to appoint one trained Graduate central head to supervise the teaching curriculum in the 5 Ashram schools in his jurisdiction, to test the children, check whether teaching is being done as per the programme and in general the quality of teaching. In addition, by rotation in batches once in every three years for 23 working days (one month) every teacher of each ashram school shall be trained in new items, methodology of teaching, how and what to use as teaching aids, etc. It is felt that this new revolutionary scheme will go a long way in aising the teaching levels in Ashram Schools.

In order to provide adequate health facilities to the tribal people, an outlay of Rs.25748.63 lakh has been provided. The programme of construction of Primary Health centres, Rural Hospitals, Sub-Centres will be carried out. Similarly, adequate outlay has also been provided for the supply of diet facilities to in-door tribal patients and one of their dependents. Sufficient outlay has also been provided for malaria and filaria control programmes, pulse polio immunisation programme, etc. Special Health schemes (commonly known as “Melghat” Pattern) are implemented in 5 new sensitive districts. It has been decided to extend to the Melghat Pattern to the remaining 10 tribal districts also. This is a major decision under the T.S.P.for the welfare of the Tribals.

Under the sector Backward Class Welfare, schemes like running of ashram schools, hostels, award of scholarship, nucleus budget, supply of electric motor pumps, etc., are being carried out. The Consumption Loan (Khavati Loan) Scheme is being implemented by the Maharashtra State Co-operative Tribal Development Corporation (M.S.T.D.C). An outlay of Rs.141.00 lakh has been given to the M.S.T.D.C. as financial assistance and for providing share capital an outlay of Rs.1000.00 lakh has been given.