Adivasi Padas Should Be Transformed into Ideal Villages: Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan

Mumbai : The central and state governments are implementing various schemes to bring tribal communities into the mainstream and foster their development. Special efforts should be made to ensure that the benefits of these government schemes reach the most marginalized members of tribal communities. Additionally, focused efforts should be made to transform Adivasi padas into ideal villages by providing essential infrastructure and improved services to the tribal communities, asserted Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan.

A meeting was held today at Raj Bhavan, chaired by Governor Radhakrishnan, to discuss the pilot project for creating an ideal tribal village in a tribal district and the establishment of an independent university for tribal students.

The meeting was attended by Tribal Development Minister Dr. Vijay Kumar Gavit, Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department Milind Mhaiskar, Additional Chief Secretary of the Energy Department Abha Shukla, Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue Department Rajesh Kumar, Principal Secretary of the Higher and Technical Education Department Vikas Chandra Rastogi, Principal Secretary of the Forest Department Venugopal Reddy, Principal Secretary of the Rural Development Department Eknath Dawle, Principal Secretary of the Women and Child Development Department Anup Kumar Yadav, Secretary of the Skill Development Department Ganesh Patil, Chief Executive Officer of the Maharashtra State Khadi and Village Industries Board R. Vimala, Secretary of the Tribal Development Department Vijay Waghmare, Secretary of the Tourism Department Jayashree Bhoj, Tribal Development Commissioner Naina Gunde, Managing Director of the Tribal Development Finance Corporation Leena Bansod, Commissioner of the Tribal Research and Training Institute Dr. Rajendra Bharud, Senior Administrative Officer Praveen Darade, Padmashri Poptrao Pawar, senior officials from various departments, and representatives of NGOs.

Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan emphasized that the concept of an ideal tribal village within the state is crucial for the country’s development. These villages should be equipped with roads, clean drinking water, infrastructure, medical facilities, quality education, sustainable agricultural development, vocational training, and support for entrepreneurship. Such model villages will serve as benchmarks for promoting knowledge sharing, empowering tribal communities, and building confidence. Instead of merely focusing on the social and cultural upliftment of the tribal population, efforts should be directed towards their overall development, particularly their economic advancement.

Governor Radhakrishnan also stressed the importance of providing quality education to tribal students by establishing good schools. The government aims to offer comprehensive education for these students, from kindergarten to postgraduate levels. He called for efforts to fulfill the aspirations of tribal students by ensuring more reserved seats in the proposed tribal universities, which should produce highly educated graduates. Public awareness about sustainable agriculture and professional training within the tribal community should be maximized. The cooperation of various departmental secretaries and social organizations will be invaluable in this endeavor, Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan stated.

Additionally, Governor Radhakrishnan reviewed the implementation of the ‘Pradhan Mantri Janman Yojana’ in the state. He emphasized the need for a special campaign to distribute identity documents to tribal members, ensuring they can access all government schemes.