'Liberal funding provided for development of tibes in J-K'

Liberal funding was being provided to fill up critical gaps to ensure holistic development of scheduled tribes in Jammu and Kashmir, Tribal Affairs minister Choudhary Zulfkar Ali has said.
The minister directed the tribal affairs department to chalk out comprehensive strategies for effective implementation of welfare programmes and schemes meant for socio-economic emancipation of the community in the state.
"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 downtrodden people," he said at a meeting here.
The meeting was convened yesterday with regard to special central assistance to tribal sub-plan, a special area programme of ministry for Tribal development for rapid economic development of tribals in the states, an official spokesman said today.

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 Gujjar and Bakerwal hostels, milk villages, skill development centres, construction of shelters for nomads, tribal bhawan, tribal research institute, Pre and Post matric scholarships.
He stressed on multi-prolonged strategies to further streamline the functioning of the department, the spokesman said.

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 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.
Ali asked 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.