Jammu: Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and Tribal Affairs, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali, Monday directed the Tribal Affairs department to chalk out comprehensive strategies for effective implementation of welfare programmes and schemes meant for socio-economic emancipation of Tribal community in the state.

The Minister issued these directions while chairing a review meeting held with regard to Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Plan (SCA to TSP), a special area programme of Ministry for Tribal Development for rapid economic development of tribals in the States.

While reviewing the physical and financial achievements registered under various sectors, the Minister emphasized optimum utilization of funds to create durable assets like setting up of cluster model villages to tap tourism potential, construction of G&B Hostels, Milk Villages, Skill Development centres, construction of shelters for nomads, Tribal Bhawan, Tribal research institute, Pre & Post matric scholarships etc. He stressed on multi-prolonged strategies to further streamline the functioning of the department.

The Minister impressed upon the officers for promotion of need based integrated livelihood initiatives and skill upgradation of tribals to enable them get respectable jobs in various sectors like diversified crops, horticulture, dairy development, backyard poultry, sericulture besides others with proper market linkages and financing. He directed tourism department for developing and promoting various tourism projects in potential tribal areas.

The Minister said that liberal funding is being provided to the department of Tribal Affairs to fill up critical gaps to ensure holistic development of the Scheduled Tribes besides uplift of down trodden people.

He asked the officers to chalk out a comprehensive plan envisaging availability of all necessary services related to their respective departments so that these marginalized segments of the society are brought under the ambit of various state and centrally sponsored schemes for their socio-economic empowerment.

The meeting was attended by Commissioner Secretary Forest, Muhammad Afzal, Commissioner Secretary Tribal Affairs, Kifayat Hussain Rizvi, Secretary Tourism Sarmad Hafeez, Director Tribal Affairs, Mohd Rafi, Special Secretary Tribal Affairs, M S Chowdhary, Secretary Gujjar and Bakerwal Board, Mukhtar Ahmed, Director Finance Tribal Affairs, Dr S. S Sen besides other senior officers of various departments.

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