‘Welfare schemes need to ensure access to basic amenities for tribal communities’

UDHAGAMANDALAM (OOTY): Banwarilal Purohit, Governor of Tamil Nadu, present at the Tribal Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Conference said that the Centre and the State governments were implementing numerous welfare schemes to ensure tribal communities have access to basic amenities such as housing, drinking water facilities, sanitation and access to roads and community spaces.

The conference was organised to mark the 102^nd birth anniversary of S. Narasimhan, the founder of the Nilgiri Adivasi Welfare Association (NAWA), on May 20. The state government is running 24 government tribal residential schools and one Eklavya Model School in the Nilgiris, said Purohit.

“Tribal students receive free education in professional courses for which the government provides total subsidy. Recently, the government sanctioned the construction of 300 houses in Gudalur block alone,” Purohit added. Further he said, it is important that these facilities are fully utilised by the tribal communities. He also urged the district administration to pay attention to ensuring access to basic amenities in tribal population areas.

The Governor lauded NAWA for its work in ensuring access to healthcare for tribal communities in the Nilgiris. He said that NAWA had also helped communities to deal with sickle cell anemia (a hereditary blood disorder) and prevent its transmission to future generations.