The Government is finalizing the National Tribal Policy to safeguard interest of tribals and to bring them into mainstream.

The proposed policy would suggest measures for rehabilitation and resettlement of the tribals and ensure that tribals affected with developmental activities become partners in the growth. The Minister for Tribal Affairs, P.R. Kyndiah addressing the celebration of World Indigenous Peoples' Day organized by Indian Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in New Delhi , disclosed.

Highlighting the various measures taken by the Government for the welfare of tribal people, Kyndiah said that the Government is working on various schemes for the empowerment of tribals and to reduce gap in human development index of the tribal population and the general population so that they could bring them at part by 2020. He said wherever displacement of tribals is made in the interest of the nation; they should be taken into confidence and compensated with land. If large-scale displacement is involved, then the project should be reconsidered to minimize the displacement, the Minister added.

Kyndiah also informed that Government has finalised rules for the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights Act). With the implementation of the act, traditional forest dwellers and Scheduled Tribes would become owner of their land and would have access to the forest resources.

 |  Headlines  |  Editorial   | Cover story  |
|  Travel Column   |   News Briefs  |
| OT Main Page | Nena  Home Page  |