Govt’s move to transfer tribal schemes to ZPs opposed

A meeting of tribal MLAs has been called in Mumbai on September 27 to discuss the issue. They have opposed the move on grounds that it would affect central schemes like the Integrated Tribal Development Programme (ITDP) and would complicate welfare schemes due to interference by local leaders.

Further, they have opined that it would defeat the very purpose of creating a separate TDC and make it redundant as 90 per cent of the TDC staff was involved in running the said schemes. The move is seen as a step towards dismantling the TDC.

The tribal development commissioner N Arumugam, in a letter to the Government, has said that the transfer of the schemes to the ZPs would defeat the purpose of creating the ITDP, would complicate the implementation of schemes as three parallel agencies (rural development department, education department and tribal development department) would be involved, hamper welfare schemes as interference of local politicians would increase and the ZPs have no experience of running ashram-schools and hostels.

He also said that a committee, headed by the chief minister, has been created to advise the Governor on policy-decisions on tribal welfare as per the provisions of the Constitution and that before taking a decision the committee would have to be consulted.

He further pointed out that since the proportion of tribals in ZPs was less, it would create new problems like fake tribals (producing bogus-certificates) claiming benefits meant only for tribals. He has pointed out that employees of ZP schools are loyal to local politicians and the new system would create more problems and might go beyond the control of the State Government.

On the other hand, the Adivasi Vikas Vibhag Karmachari Sanghatana, representing employees of the tribal department, has pointed out that transferring the vital schemes to the ZPs would make the department redundant as 90 per cent of the employees out of the existing 13,500 ones were involved in running the schemes.

Sanghatana general secretary Vikram Gaikwad said that the separation of the tribal welfare department from the social welfare department, the creation of the tribal development commissionerate and the creation of a separate education wing for ashram schools and a separate budgetary allocation for tribal welfare was done in the past for effective implementation of the schemes and the Government’s move would defeat the purpose of effective implementation of such schemes through a single agency.

The Sanghatana has pointed out that in 1996 a one-member R C Sinha Committee had recommended the winding up of the TDC and transference of the schemes to the respective divisional revenue commissionerates. The move was then opposed by Madhukar Pichad, who is now the tribal development minister.

There are 412 Government-run ashram schools and 507 aided ashram schools run by private institutions in the State. It may be recalled that 23 tribal students from the Raite ashram school in Peth tehsil had trekked 66 km to the TDC in Nashik to complain against their teachers, cooks and the principal in February 1998.

One of their demands was for paving a road from Thanapada to Raite, a distance of 16 km. However, the road is yet to be done despite the TDC providing Rs 3 crore to the Nashik ZP for the job.