Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram called upon Tribal MPs to join efforts for providing quality residential education to tribal children and community empowerment through forest rights recognition, an official said on Friday. In an interaction with Tribal Members of Parliament and Ministers, the Union Minister highlighted the collective resolve of elected tribal leadership to fast-track the holistic development of tribal communities under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The interaction on Thursday reflected a rare convergence of policy, political will, and grassroots insight, with Tribal MPs playing a proactive role in guiding implementation, strengthening convergence, and ensuring accountability on the ground, said the official in a statement.
Oram said that the interaction reflected a shared responsibility and unified approach towards inclusion, empowerment, and dignity of tribal citizens, in alignment with the national vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas. He emphasised that Tribal MPs play a crucial role not only in policy advocacy but also in ensuring effective implementation and last-mile delivery of welfare initiatives.
The Minister outlined key national programmes such as PM-JANMAN, Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, Eklavya Model Residential Schools, and strengthened implementation of the Forest Rights Act, which are collectively transforming tribal and PVTG-dominated regions through saturation-based development.
Major gains in housing, drinking water, electrification, healthcare outreach, education, livelihoods, and cultural preservation were highlighted, said the statement. Special emphasis was laid on quality residential education for tribal children, elimination of Sickle Cell Disease, expansion of livelihood opportunities through Van Dhan initiatives, and community empowerment through forest rights recognition.
The interaction reaffirmed the collective endeavour of Tribal MPs, guided by the Union Government, to ensure inclusive growth, social justice, and sustainable development for tribal communities across the country, said the statement.
The interaction was attended by Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey, Savitri Thakur-Dhar (MP), Patel Umeshbhai Babubhai - Daman & Diu, Sukhdeo Bhagat - Jharkhand, Rajkumar Roat - Rajasthan, Manoj Tigga - West Bengal, Amarsing Tisso -Assam, Pradeep Purohit- (Bargarh) Odisha, Balabhadra Majhi - (Nabrangpur) Odisha, Naba Charan Majhi - (Mayurbhanj) Odisha, Malvika Devi- (Kalahandi) Odisha.
Also present were Secretary Tribal Affairs Ranjana Choppra, Joint Secretary Anant Prakash Pandey, Additional Secretary Manish Thakur and Commissioner National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) Ajit Kumar Srivastav, said the statement.