Body to monitor ongoing projects
Rampant corruption in tribal areas has forced the minister of tribal affairs K.C. Deo to set up a national-level Project Monitoring Committee which will evaluate all ongoing projects, including those being implemented by NGOs.
“A Project Steering Committee is already in the process of reviewing all existing NGO schemes(in tribal regions) and the process should be completed by the end of this year,” said the minister at a press conference.
“These national-level monitors can do spot inspections. A lot of funds are being pumped in these areas but we are receiving complaints that the funds are not reaching the people,” Mr Deo said.
In an equally significant development, the ministry is planning to set up a Tribal Commission which will oversee the introduction of a minimum support price (MSP) for all minor forest produce (MFP).
The produce will include tendu, bamboo, mahuwa flower, mahuwa seed, sal lead, sal seed, lac, chironjee, wild honey, myrobalan, tamarind, gums and karanj.
This is being done to ensure that the tribals receive proper remuneration for their labour. Mr Deo expressed the hope that this would prove an important step forward to help them escape from indebtedness.
An estimated 147 million villagers live in and around forests while another 275 million villagers depend on forest produce for their livelihoods. Mr Deo was hopeful that these measures would help put a lid on the increasing Maoist presence in tribal areas.
Mr Deo ,who also heads the ministry of pachayati raj, is pushing for greater power to gram sabhas who will be the main agency to conduct social audits.
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