Top govt officials brief HC on schemes in tribal areas

The chief secretary of Maharashtra government today assured the Bombay High Court that the state would soon appoint IAS officers as project officers in Melghat and other tribal areas.
Nine IAS officers would be appointed as project officers, chief secretary Swadheen Kshatriya told the division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Anil Menon.
The HC was hearing a petition filed by Purnima Upadhayay and others seeking basic amenities in tribal areas.
Kshatriya also assured that banking facilities will be made available in tribal areas. Steps would be taken to provide telephone connectivity and talks were on with service providers such as Reliance, Tata and Vodafone, he said.

About telephone connectivity, the court suggested that state government may think of the satellite mode.
The hearing was held in the conference room of the High Court where secretaries of all the government departments apart from Kshatriya were present to inform the court about steps taken to improve facilities in tribal areas.

The Secretary of Public Health Department said the government had appointed doctors, counsellors and social workers in tribal areas, apart from providing ambulances.
The government was considering introduction of 'malnutrition (prevention) policy' in tribal areas. The annual budget of Public Health Department for tribal areas had been increased to Rs 231 crore, he said.

The court suggested that government introduce a quota for tribal students in medical courses like MBBS.
The Food and Civil Supplies Secretary said steps had been taken to provide food grains to tribals; three months' ration would be provided at a go, beside reaching the food items directly to doorstep by trucks, he said.
The court recorded the assurances and posted the matter to July 27.