On June 15, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched an outreach programme, targeting around 1 lakh tribal-dominated villages, to ensure doorstep delivery of two welfare schemes: Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA). It aims to provide tribals with basic documents like the Aadhaar and Ayushman Bharat cards, title under the Forest Rights Act, pension accounts, as well as Jan Dhan accounts, while helping them to get enrolled in the existing schemes. The campaign’s objectives — to make tribal populations aware of the existing schemes while promoting “participatory governance through community mobilisation” — are commendable. But there will be challenges.
In the past couple of years, the Union government has taken measures to bridge the developmental gap between tribal populations and the rest. The PM JANMAN was launched in 2023, targeting the socio-economic development of 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) across 18 states and one UT. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched DAJGUA, which aims to fill the infrastructural gaps in 63,843 villages. Large sections, however, have yet to receive the benefits of the schemes. While difficulties in reaching geographically inaccessible terrain is a major barrier, landlessness remains a concerning issue, especially for the PVTGs. In November 2024, President Droupadi Murmu flagged it; she asked NITI Aayog to facilitate land provision in tribal areas. Another challenge is getting the required documents for accessing different schemes. Reports published in this newspaper in October 2024 showed how many from the Katkari Adivasi communities in Pune struggled to get the birth and death certificates necessary for accessing welfare benefits under the Tribal Sub Plans (TSP). The reason cited was the non-recognition of their village after displacement due to the construction of the Dimbhe Dam in 1984.
In the decades after Independence, millions of tribal people have been displaced by dams, mines, wildlife sanctuaries and industries. A sustained effort is required to understand their special predicaments and needs. For that, governance must be prioritised over political symbolism. This outreach campaign can be a starting point.
