Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan participated in the Aadi Mahotsav 2019, an annual extravaganza of tribal art, culture, craft and cuisine, here yesterday evening which is being organised by TRIFED. The event is witnessing participation of over 1000 tribal artisans, chefs, performers etc. from 24 States.Speaking on the occasion Shri Pradhan said “Coming from Odisha, I have a special place in my heart for our tribal brothers and sisters. In the tribal map of our country, Odisha occupies an important place. Indian tribes are known for rich culture and heritage. Our tribal brothers and sisters have a life style which makes them closer to environment.”Talking about the role of tribal population in energy, he said, “We must indigenise our sources of energy. Our tribal brothers and sisters can play an important role in our Bio Fuels strategy. Forest produce getting converted to energy can help us save foreign exchange and will augment income of our tribal brothers and sisters.”Pitching for greater use of tribal products, he said, “Let us resolve to use more and more products in our daily lives which are made by our tribal brothers and sisters”. He further stated that under the leadership of hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, NDA Govt. has brought in a new paradigm of tribal welfare. “Be it Ujjwala Yojana, Saubhagya Yojana, PM Awas Yojana, Swachh Bharat or Har Ghar Jal, our tribal brothers and sisters are at the focus of our development agenda”, he added.