Union Minister of State for Tribal Development Jasvant sinh Bhabhor said that the government of India would provide liberal financial assistance to Himachal Pradesh for carrying out various developmental activities for the welfare of the people residing in the tribal areas of the state.While presiding over the reviewing meeting of the state Tribal Development department here today, he assured that the Union Tribal Ministry would consider the demand of the state sympathetically for declaring Hatti community of trans-Giri area of Sirmaur district as scheduled tribe. He also assured that Union government would sanction three more Eklavya model residential schools at Pangi, Bharmaur and Lahaul as per the demand raised by the state government.He said that the keeping in view that the state government has been managing the Nichar Eklavya school efficiently in Kinnaur district, the Union Ministry would certainly approve three more such schools for the state.The Union Minister said that his Ministry would also provide funds to the state Tribal development department for construction of building of new Tribal Research Institute at Shimla.
Jasvantsinh Bhabhor asked the department to send the list of proposal received so far for the pre-matric and post-matric scholarships under Scheduled Tribe Scholarship so that the Union Ministry could release the funds accordingly. He also directed to send the tentative list of remaining scholarship before 31 December, 2018 for which the financial assistance would be released separately. It was informed in the meeting that the Rs. 20 crore have been released to the state under special central assistance to Tribal Sub-Scheme during the current year which has been further allocated to the executive agencies. Similarly, the grant amounting to Rs. 22 crore received under the Article 275(1) of the Constitution has also been released to the executive agencies.Principal Secretary, Tribal Development Onkar Sharma urged the Union Minister to include the developmental works like construction of community toilets, waste management projects, sewerage treatment plants, small projects, Gau Sadans, fish farms, Sabzi Mandi and parking etc. under the section 3(2) of the Forest Right Act.Senior officers of the state Tribal Development department were also present in the meeting.