Funds for tribal welfare have increased under Modi govt: Amit Shah in MP

Union minister Amit Shah was speaking at ‘Van Samiti Sammelan’, a programme where bonus was distributed to collectors of forest produce such as tendu leaves and forest societies when he made the statement.

Updated on: Apr 23, 2022, 01:33:12 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to the welfare of tribals and has allocated ₹78,000 crore for various schemes and programmes for the community ever since he assumed office in 2014, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Friday.

“This is a government of the poor, Scheduled Tribes, Dalits and Backward Classes. During the Congress government’s time, only ₹21,000 crore was provided for the welfare of (tribal) people, but after Prime Minister Modi came to power in 2014, funds for tribal uplift were enhanced to ₹78,000 crore,” Shah said.

The Union minister was speaking at ‘Van Samiti Sammelan’, a programme where bonus was distributed to collectors of forest produce such as tendu leaves and forest societies when he made the statement.

Tribals constitute more than 21% of Madhya Pradesh's population. This was the second tribal outreach by Shah in just over six months in the BJP-ruled state where assembly elections are due in 2023.

State Congress chief Kamal Nath hit back, saying: “Crores of rupees have been spent today in the name of this event. The Congress worked genuinely for the welfare of tribals and the poor but the BJP is focusing more on taking the credit...”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More