State govt committed for welfare of tribals: AP CM

The Andhra Pradesh government was committed to protect the rights of the tribals and for the welfare of the scheduled tribes and scheduled castes in the state, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy said here today.
He said this while addressing a public meeting at G K Veedhi in Visakhkapatnam district after launching 'Rajiv Bala Sanjeevani', a new medical scheme for tribal children.
Elaborating on the medical scheme, Reddy said, "Under the new scheme medical care would be provided to 3.50 lakh children of the tribals. One doctor and paramedical staff will visit the villages and schools once a week for medical check-up of the children and distribute free medicines to them."

About the development of roads in the tribal region, he said, "962 kms of roads would be laid in the tribal areas of the state at a cost of Rs 528 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and the roads laying of the roads would be completed by March 2014."
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Kishore Chandra Deo, who was present at the function, said that the government would not allow bauxite mining in the agency areas and a decision in this regard had already been taken.
Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh asked the Chief Minister to announce a 20 year-moratorium for banning the bauxite mining in the agency areas.