AP to seek central aid for developing infrastructure in tribal areas
VIJAYAWADA: The state government has resolved to seek support from the Centre for building infrastructure facilities in tribal areas, particularly where left-wing extremism is prevalent.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday held a high-level meeting with officials from home and tribal welfare departments to discuss the state’s agenda for the September 26 meeting that has been convened by the Union home ministry to take stock of left-wing extremism.
Centre’s assistance will be for constructing roads, transforming schools and hospitals under Nadu-Nedu initiative, and comprehensive internet and mobile-telecom facilities in tribal areas.
Reddy said that the government has been improving schools and hostels in 36 scheduled mandals under Nadu-Nedu besides renovating government hospitals in those regions. He directed telecom officials to go about mapping of towers that are coming up in tribal areas. Telecom facilities are being provided in 900 villages through 400 towers. He asked officials to design a policy that can provide internet and mobile-telecom facilities in each and every tribal village. He suggested a post office wherever there are village secretariats, which should also serve as Aadhaar centres as most tribals lack Aadhar cards.
Reiterating his intention to have a tribal university, he stated that the government has given RoFR pattas to tribal farmers besides passing on the benefits of various welfare schemes. He said that 31,155 acres of DKT deeds were given to 19,919 tribals.
Meanwhile, DGP Gautam Sawang said that the activities of Maoists have come down significantly. Currently, the activity is visible in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari and West Godavari districts. He said that thanks to the myriad welfare schemes, programmes and government initiatives, tribal youth are not showing any interest in Maoist recruitments.
Deputy chief minister Pamula Pushpasrivani, home minister Mekathoti Sucharitha, Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das, and senior officials from various departments like N. Prateep Kumar, Gopalakrishna Dwivedi, M.T. Krishnababu, G. Jayalakshmi, Kumar Vishwajit, K.V. Rajendranath Reddy, Nagulapalli Srikanth, Kantilal Dande, K.V.V. Satyanarayana and Ranjit Basha were present.
