"More than Rs 5 lakh crores is budget for tribal community," says Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram

New Delhi [India], June 19 : Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram on Wednesday said that the Centre has kept an overall 7.5 per cent of the budget for the tribal community of India.
He said the government has initiated various schemes for the tribal community which has significantly brought a change in their lives.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, the Union Minister on tribal budget said, "We have a budget of more than Rs 5 lakh crores for the tribal community that can be spent on their welfare projects. Also, each Ministry has its tribal component. So, in total, we have an overall 7.5 per cent allocation of budget for tribal communities."
Speaking about the projects for the tribal community, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram asserted, "We are working on the Eklavya Model Mission Schools. We are working on constituting 740 Eklavya Model schools. During the reign of Atal Ji, the targeted mission of schools was 100 from which we had constituted 84. But when the Congress party came into the rule, the mission became relatively slow. But after Narendra Modi Ji came into power, the speed of the project is revamped and now, we have funds of more than Rs 1.50 lakh crores available for the project."
On the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) - Aajeevika he said, "Along with it, we are working on the livelihood scheme. In the livelihood scheme, we have provided MSPs on more than 87 products which has increased the income of tribes, as, initially the middlemen used to purchase those items at lower rates."
"We have made 3,958 Van Dhan Vikas Kendra operational. We have built various storage godowns. We are providing marketing support to tribes for the non-timber forest products, which has brought a significant change in their life," said Jual Oram on other welfare schemes of tribes.
Non-timber forest products are any products or services that come from forests but are not timber
He further stated, "One of the most important aspects was the constitution of the National Education Society (NEST) for tribal students which is very similar to Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs). Recruitment is continued for NEST."
In the meanwhile, preparation for the upcoming Union Budget 2024-25 commenced in Delhi on June 13. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has directed officials to initiate the budget preparation process, emphasizing the need for meticulous planning and comprehensive analysis.
This early start aims to ensure a well-structured budget that effectively addresses the country's economic priorities and challenges. The collaborative efforts of the ministry's team are expected to contribute to a robust and strategic financial plan for the upcoming fiscal year.
According to sources, the Union Budget for 2024-25 is likely to be tabled in Parliament by the third week of July. Earlier, on February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the interim budget for 2024-2025 in Parliament due to the election year.