Latest news with #TribalDevelopmentDepartment
India Today
29-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Funds to Ladki Bahin scheme through tribal department, Fadnavis says no wrongdoing
The Maharashtra government has once again allocated Rs 335.7 crore to the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme through the Tribal Development Department, marking the third such transfer. This allocation, approved in May 2025, brings the total funds diverted from the department to Rs 1,007.1 Minister Devendra Fadnavis, however, said that no funds have been diverted from other departments for the scheme, emphasising that money was disbursed through Tribal Affairs and Social Justice Departments as per budgetary charges (by opposition that funds were diverted from other departments for Ladki Bahin Yojana) are wrong. Only those who don't understand the budget can make such a charge. Rules say funds should be reserved for SCs/STs. Maximum funds should be reserved for personal benefit schemes and some for infrastructure development," Fadnavis was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. The Chief Minister's remarks came amid a controversy over the funds transfer, as the Niti Aayog had issued a clear directive prohibiting the use of funds earmarked for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) for other Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat and the Tribal Development Department also opposed the move, citing strict guidelines issued by Niti Aayog. The Opposition argued that such actions could undermine welfare programs for Dalit and tribal according to Fadnavis, the budget of Tribal Affairs and Social Justice departments has been hiked nearly 1.45 times in 2025-26. "This (Ladki Bahin funds disbursed through other departments) is a type of accounting. No money has been diverted. There is no wrongdoing in this," the Chief Minister to him, money given into the scheme has to be shown under the Tribal Affairs Department and the Social Justice this month, Sanjay Shirasat accused the Ajit Pawar-led Finance Department of high-handedness in what he termed the illegal diversion of funds from his department without his Tribal Development Department had previously transferred Rs 335.7 crore twice for the same Aayog's guidelines, communicated through a letter to all state Chief Ministers, the Union Social Justice Department, and the Tribal Affairs Department, stated that funds allocated for Dalit and tribal welfare must not be diverted to other Ladki Bahin Scheme provides Rs 1,500 per month to eligible women. It is a flagship initiative of the state government and incurs an estimated monthly expenditure of 3,570 the financial year 2024-25, the state budget has allocated 36,000 crore for the scheme. So far, approximately 2.34 crore women have benefited from this PTI inputsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Maharashtra#Devendra Fadnavis
New Indian Express
07-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Illegal occupation inside Nagarahole tiger reserve; tribals demand land rights
BENGALURU: Scores of people who have illegally entered Nagarahole Tiger Reserve in the last two days have started to set up temporary camps and shelters inside the forest on Tuesday evening demanding the state government give them forest land. 'They are asking for land inside the tiger reserve and want the Forest Rights Act to be cancelled. They want a gram sabha to be held inside the forest immediately and they be given land rights documents,' said Mysuru Malathi Priya, Chief Conservator of Forests. A similar incident had happened six years ago in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve where tribals and others entered the forest seeking rights over forest land. Now the tribals who were relocated under the voluntary tribal relocation programme are seeking rights over forest land along with those who are already staying inside the forest. The Nagarahole Adivasi Janma- Pale Hakku Sthapane Samithi held a meeting on last Saturday and told media in Bengaluru that they wanted cancellation of the Forest Rights Act and the tribal relocation programme. They also demanded implementation of the recent orders issued by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to provide all facilities (including road, water, electricity and other facilities) to dwellers staying inside forests. A forest official in Nagarahole said: 'We were unable to get out of the forest or call for more forces as we were gheraoed on Monday. We were unable to contact the police and the forest department head office on Monday. On late Tuesday evening when the message was relayed, help came in. But the police are not clearing the people. We also do not have the sufficient man-power to remove them forcefully.' Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Subhash B Malkhade, said: 'The tribals want their rights to be settled. But they are not forest dwellers. They have come from outside. The issue is not with the forest department alone. There are sub-committees at the gram, district and taluk levels which has to look into the rights of the tribals along with the Tribal Development Department'. Despite repeated attempts, TNIE could not get a comment from the Scheduled Tribes Welfare Department.
The Hindu
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Female Tribal Students to participate in long march for not receiving accommodation in govt hostels
Pratiksha Kavate, 17, is an 11th-grade student who lives with her parents in Kavatewasti, which is atleast an hour away from her college in Junnar Taluka in Maharashtra's Pune district. Pratiksha's classes start at 7 am, she wakes up at 5 am to do household chores and catch the bus at 6 am to reach college. She has applied to the Tribal Development Department to receive accommodation to pursue higher education. 'If I don't get admission to a hostel, then I have to travel two hours daily. Later, do household chores, leaving me no time to study,' says Pratiksha. The travel development department (TDD) is unable to accommodate her or the other 160 girls at the Junnar tribal hostel because the 80-occupancy hostel is already occupied by 200 girls (beyond capacity). The same issue has come up across various districts in Maharashtra. Student Federation of India (SFI) held several discussions with the tribal department for the accommodation of these girls in government hostels. However, it did not take a fruitful turn, resulting in a sit-in protest outside the Tribal Development Department in August 2024 in Nashik. SFI has now decided to organise a long march on May 1 over the delay in the admissions of tribal students in the hostels. The rally will start from Shivneri Fort to the Chief Minister's residence in Mumbai. The rally was first to commence on April 28, however, it has been postponed to May 1, after waiting for a response from the Tribal department. 'We have constantly followed up on the issue, but TDD is not giving us any solid solution. With no accommodation, the girls will be unable to take admissions to colleges, wasting one academic year or travelling long hours, impacting their studies. This is one of the reasons many tribal students are deprived of higher education,' said Ramdas Prini Sivanandan, executive member of SFI. SFI wrote a letter to the Tribal Development Department addressing problems of students from Ashram Schools and Hostels across the state, including the quality of food and availability of hostel spaces. They also demanded to stop the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system for meals and reinstate the mess system, provide hostels to students who applied, construct government buildings instead of rented premises, and others. The Tribal Development Department has acknowledged the problem and claimed that they are exploring options to accommodate students. 'Government is exploring several options to immediately accommodate the students not just in Junnar but across Maharashtra, wherever this problem has prevailed. We have also sent a proposal to the government for DBT under the Swayam Yojana, waiting for a positive outcome. Besides, renting a building and pooling human resources takes time. However, we are in the final stage of getting this issue resolved,' Tribal Department Commissioner Leena Bansod told The Hindu.
