Many important decisions have been taken in the meeting of Chhattisgarh State Tribal Advisory Council chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel today via video conferencing from his residence office. In the meeting, the process of caste certificate issuance and cancellation was reviewed. It has been decided in the meeting that a sub-committee of Chhattisgarh State Advisory Council will be constituted for amendment in the sections of land revenue in the larger interest of tribal communities. In the meeting, displacement proposal of three villages Tilaidabri, Birarpani, Chhirhatta in Achanakmar Tiger Reserve was approved. Each displaced family will be provided Rs 10 lakh or two hectares of land and 5000 sq metre of ‘baari’, along with the drinking water supply facility, road connectivity and land allotment at suitable place. Likewise, displacement of total 19 villages in the area has been approved in the meeting. Meanwhile, the report on administration in scheduled areas, which is to be sent to Governor, was approved.
While discussing the Forestland Rights Act implementation, Chief Minister said that revenue records should be updated based on the data collected by surveying the forest areas. Special campaigns should be conducted in all the scheduled areas for rectifying the errors and resolving the revenue related disputes. Chief Minister said that distribution of forest land rights certificates is underway, both individual and community leases. Chief Minister said that in last one and a half years, government has distributed more than 40 thousand individual/community leases. Chief Minister gave instructions to pace up the implementation process by personally taking meetings right from Bastar to Sarguja. Revenue, Forest and Tribal Caste Scheduled Caste Department officials have been directed to hold meetings and take decisions in such cases. In the meeting, members of the council thanked Chief Minister for providing forest land rights certificates for the first time in urban areas.
It was informed in the meeting that the number of applications received is more than the number of sanctioned seats in hostels of District Headquarters. 14 thousand 750 seats have been approved in 21 new hostels for admission of interested students. Department has made financial provisions for construction of 161 ashram-hostel building construction. It was agreed upon in the meeting to include representatives of special backward tribal communities as special invitees in the Tribal Advisory Council. A letter has been written to the Government of India regarding raising the income limit for post-matric scholarship.
Chief Minister said that several decisions have been taken by the government in the last one and a half years for the betterment of tribal communities in scheduled areas. Innovative initiatives have been taken in the direction of education, health, employment for the tribal community. To overcome anemia and malnutrition in the forest regions, Mukhyamantri Suposhan Abhiyan has been launched, which yielded promising results. The number of undernourished children has declined by 13 percent, even during the Corona crisis. Mukhyamantri Haat Bazar Clinic Scheme has been started to provide health facilities in the villages. Campaign has also been launched for malaria eradication in Bastar region.
Formation of Sub-Committee
Sub-committee has been constituted to amend the rules regarding transfer of tribal land to the Land Revenue Code. It will include MLAs Mohan Markam, Chintamani Maharaj, Indrashah Mandavi, Laxmi Dhruv, Laljit Rathia and Shishupal Singh Sori. This committee will examine the rules regarding the sale of tribal land to non-tribals in the code of land revenue and will submit its report regarding the same in the next meeting.