Centre’s mega push to transform lives of J&K tribals

Srinagar: The Union government has decided to transform the lives of tribal population in Jammu and Kashmir, by giving them smart schools, scholarships for their children. Similarly, in the recent past, the government has made the tribal affairs department functional with a lot of schemes and funds to uplift the lives of the tribal population here. Forests Rights Act is also being implemented as the UT administration of Jammu and Kashmir is giving training to the forest officials to implement this Act.
On Thursday, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha launched the J&K administration’s ambitious project of transforming 200 schools into smart schools for tribal communities here. According to the official spokesman of J&K government, this education project for tribals in Jammu and Kashmir would be completed in two phases.
According to the tweet from L-G Manoj Sinha on Thursday, “The work of modernization of 100 schools will be completed in the first phase by March 2022 and another 100 schools by December 2022.” He said that the government will also provide scholarships to 21,000 children of Gaddi, Sippy, Dard and Sheena communities who were deprived of such help from the government for the last so many decades.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha while speaking on Thursday about the schemes said, “Our priority is to secure the future of tribal children. Smart schools in tribal and remote areas are equipped with modern facilities to develop scientific temper in children and make them future-ready, besides arresting the drop-out rate.” It is in place to mention that the J&K government is spending around Rs 104 crore to strengthen school infrastructure in tribal areas and establish a strong educational eco-system for the tribal communities in Jammu and Kashmir. On the instructions of the Union Government, the J&K administration is spending Rs 8.50 crore on the modernization of hostels of the Tribal Department. The J&K government is opening Eklavya Model Schools for the tribal children along with scholarships so that they get a level playing field with the rest of the students in UT of Jammu and Kashmir. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Administrative Secretary, Tribal Affairs Department, told reporters that he is holding workshops and awareness drives among the tribal population regarding the schemes launched by his department to make their lives better.