(a) Whether there is any scheme of the Government to promote participation of
tribals in development of waste land and community afforestation so as to provide
them employment; .
(b) If so, the details thereof;
(c) Whether any separate provision is being made for construction of community
buildings in tribal areas and development of tribal villages; and
(d) If so, the details thereof ?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI A. NARENDRA)
(a) & (b) The Department of Land Resources in the Ministry of Rural Development
is implementing three area development programmes namely Integrated Wastelands
Development Programme (IWDP), Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) and Desert
Development Programme (DDP) on watershed basis in the country. For selection of
watersheds, emphasis is laid on those areas which are having large population of
scheduled caste/ scheduled tribes dependent on it. The objectives of programmes
inter alia include employment generation, poverty alleviation, community empowerment
and development of human and other economic resources of the rural areas and activities
aim to restore ecological balance by harnessing, conserving and developing natural
resources i.e. land, water, vegetative cover especially plantations. Though these programmes
are not exclusively for tribals, when implemented in tribal areas, they result in employment
generation for the tribals.
(c) & (d) There is no separate provision for construction of community buildings
in tribal areas and for development of tribal villages. However, under Sampoorna
Grameen Rozgar Yojana, 50% of the allocation of the Panchayati Raj Institutions
is required to be spent in Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe habitations for creation
of need based infrastructure.