GUWAHATI: As part of efforts to rejuvenate the Assam Tribal Development Authority (ATDA), Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has directed the WPT&BC Department to identify the tribal communities and their population which fall outside the jurisdiction of the BTAD and the Autonomous Councils of the state.
The Chief Minister’s direction will benefit many small tribal communities living outside the administrative jurisdiction of the BTAD and the councils. As per an earlier amendment of the Assam Tribal Development Authority Act, 1983; the ATDA was mandated to work for the tribal people living outside the BTAD and Autonomous Councils of the state.
As ATDA remained dormant for past several years, it severely hit many small tribal communities. The Chief Minister’s instruction will pave way for strengthening these tribal communities and help them reap the benefit of the welfare schemes of the government.
“The tribal people are the sons of the soil. They are the precious jewels in the socio-cultural mosaic of the state. Government of Assam is committed to ensure social security and development of each of the tribal community”, Chief Minister Sonowal said this while chairing a meeting to review the functioning of ATDA at Janata Bhawan today.
Further, to add more teeth to the ATDA, Sonowal directed the WPT&BC Department to list down the tribal communities and the population who fall outside the jurisdiction of the BTAD and the autonomous councils.
The Chief Minister also directed the department to make separate budget provision to suit the requirements of the tribal population not covered by the autonomous councils so that the ATDA can take up development and welfare activities for them. The Chief Minister also asked the department to prepare plan from the available existing fund for the targeted beneficiaries of the ATDA.