Make tribal stakeholder in development project: PM

Allaying fears of tribals over loss of livelihood, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said they should be compensated for land aquired from them and made stakeholders in the developmental projects coming up in their areas.

Allaying fears of tribals over loss of livelihood, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday said they should be compensated for land aquired from them and made stakeholders in the developmental projects coming up in their areas.

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"Apart from adequate compensation for land which is acquired from them, we should also ensure that our 'Adivasi' (tribal) brothers and sisters have a stake in the developmental project being undertaken," Singh said while addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 64th Independence Day.

He said tribals should not be compelled to lose forests as a source of their livelihood without provision of alternative mechanism for their survival.

"They (tribals) have been dependent on forest produce for centuries and this dependence should not end without the creation of new sources of livelihood," he said.