Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday announced that by the next financial year, all the 260 tribal habitations across Telangana that did not have approach roads would get connectivity, under a special package.
He gave an assurance too, that in the next Cabinet expansion, a member from the tribes would be given the portfolio of Tribal Welfare.
Mr. Rao was addressing an impressive gathering of tribals from all the nine districts other than those from the State capital, after laying the foundation stones for a Banjara Bhavan and a Komaram Bheem Adivasi Bhavan on Road No. 10 in posh Banjara Hills area.
Expressing concern over the deaths in tribal habitations due to viral fevers and other communicable diseases, he also said a 500 strong Task Force comprising medical experts and cultural troupes would be formed. The Task Force teams would fan out into the remote tribal habitations of nine districts and while doctors would immediately begin treating patients, the cultural troupe members and experts would tell them the importance of nutrition, medical precautions to be taken and the need to do away with blind beliefs and superstitions.
The Chief Minister was greeted with thunderous applause when he said that very soon all the women tribals would also get three acres of land like he had announced for the 'Dalits'. “Not only that, we will ensure that you get the borewell, motor and the expenditure that you need for tilling the land and the first year's crop,” he announced.
Talking on the reservations of 12 per cent for the scheduled tribes, he said that soon a high-level committee would be set up with a sitting High Court Judge to look into the modalities and other details.
