The Cabinet on Wednesday approved Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan with an outlay of Rs 79,156 crore including states’ share of Rs 22,823 crore for improving the socio-economic condition of tribal communities. The scheme, to run over five years, will aim at saturation of schemes coverage for tribal families in tribal-majority villages and aspirational districts.
Around 63,000 villages will be brought under the scheme, to benefit more than 50 million tribal people as announced in the Budget Speech 2024-25. It will cover 549 districts and 2,740 blocks spread across all tribal majority villages across 30 States / UTs.
Under the dive for saturation of schemes, 20 lakh pucca houses will be built under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin, 25,000 km connecting roads under Gram Sadak Yojana, piped water supply to all eligible villages, electrification of 2.35 lakh households, construction of 1,000 hostels, etc.
India has a scheduled tribe (ST) population of 10.45 crore as per the 2011 census and there are more than 705 tribal communities, spread across the country, living in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
The Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan envisions saturation of critical gaps in social infrastructure, health, education, and livelihood, through different schemes of Govt of India by convergence and outreach and ensuring holistic and sustainable development of tribal areas and communities based on learnings and success of PMJANMAN (Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan).
The Mission comprises of 25 interventions which will be implemented by 17-line ministries. Each Ministry/Department would be responsible for implementation of scheme related to it in a time bound manner through funds allocated to them under the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST) in the next 5 years.
Under the mission, ST households will be provided access to training (Skill India Mission/ JSS) and ensure that ST boys/girls get access to long-term skill courses after the 10th/12th standard every year. Further, Marketing support through Tribal Multipurpose Marketing Centre (TMMC), Tourist Home Stays and Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fishery support for FRA (Forest Rights Act) Patta holders.
It will also increase Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) to the national levels in school and higher education and to make quality education affordable and accessible to ST students (Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan) by setting up tribal hostels in schools at district/block level.