Many welfare schemes are being implemented in the tribal villages of Jammu and Kashmir.
SRINAGAR: The BJP has started working on the ground after the delimitation of Assembly and parliamentary segments to address the problems of marginalized people in Jammu and Kashmir. The focus of the BJP is all the tribal communities and the visible welfare schemes in every tribal village are showing growing support to the saffron party. As a first symbolic gesture, BJP has nominated Ghulam Ali belonging to the Gujjar community from Bathindi of Jammu to Rajya Sabha. This is the clear message that Gujjars, Paharies and other such segments of the society will get the attention of the central government if the BJP is voted to power in Jammu and Kashmir.
As the delimitation commission has enhanced the Assembly segments in Jammu region to 43, the BJP is confident of winning a majority of seats and is trying to get the support of the tribal community. In the past few years following the abrogation of Article 370, the tribal affairs department in Jammu and Kashmir has focused on the education of tribal children. Recently, a 100-bed hostel for girls’ studies has been operationalised by the Tribal Affairs Department (TAD) at Jammu. Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Secretary, Tribal Affairs Department, told media that many such hostels are coming up and they are also establishing a lot of smart schools with modern facilities in the tribal villages of Jammu and Kashmir. The recently inaugurated hostel at Jammu will accommodate 100 girl students enrolled in post-graduate courses in universities and colleges of Jammu and Kashmir. These students are being provided scholarships and enhanced diet rates have been made applicable. These tribal students will get computer tablets with preloaded educational content. The Tribal affairs department is going to establish a similar PG girl’s hostel for tribal girls in Srinagar city also. Secretary Tribal Affairs Department told this newspaper that 25 hostels for the tribal community students in Jammu and Kashmir have been imitated and funds have been released to the respective deputy commissioners for the execution of these projects.
As there is a lot of talk about Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir to be held sooner than later, the focus on the tribal community has intensified as many welfare schemes are being implemented in the tribal villages of Jammu and Kashmir. With emphasis on the education of tribal children, under the scheme “Aao School Chale Campaign”, a huge number of students from disadvantaged sections have been brought back to the class rooms. With a view to providing quality education to the youth in remote areas of Jammu and Kashmir, especially in the tribal villages, 25,000 additional seats at the graduate level have been provided by setting up 50 degree colleges. This is the biggest addition in the Higher Education sector in the last 70 years in Jammu and Kashmir. If the tribal community tilts towards the BJP, they can get some seats even in the tribal areas of Kashmir valley and the latest welfare schemes are being welcomed in the tribal villages by common people.