Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Project for rehabilitation of tribals

Special Correspondent

State submits Rs. 700-crore proposal to the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs

FOR A CAUSE: Union Minister for Tribal Affairs P.R. Kyundiah, who is in Thiruvananthapuram to take stock of the tribal issues in Kerala, being welcomed by Minister for Welfare of Backward Communities A.K. Balan on Friday. Photo: S. Gopakumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Government on Friday submitted a proposal costing Rs.700 crore to Union Minister for Tribal Affairs P.R. Kyundiah for rehabilitating the landless tribal families in the State.

Minister for Welfare of Backward and Scheduled Communities A.K. Balan submitted the proposal to Mr. Kyundiah, who is on a visit to the State to review the tribal welfare measures being taken by the State Government.

Talking to journalists, Mr. Kyundiah expressed his appreciation of the steps the State Government was taking to improve the living conditions of the tribal people.

Central Act

He referred to the recent Central Act asserting the right of the tribal people over the forests and said Kerala should examine how the new law would help it to overcome the tribal land issue.

He, however, cautioned the State against neglecting ecological concerns.

Besides, the forests provide the means of sustenance for large sections of tribal people, he said.

Mr. Balan said that nearly 22,000 tribal families were still landless in the State. The Government had identified nearly 1,000 acres of land to be given to them.

Nearly 21,000 acres more of land will be required to solve the tribal land issue.

He said he had discussed with Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran the possibility of recovering from `land sharks' large tracts of land encroached and illegally held by them.

"We are considering introducing a Bill in the Assembly to [help the Government] recover such tracts of land," he said.

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