Raipur/ Chief Minister Shri Vishnudev Sai, addressing the annual conference of the Khadiya Scheduled Tribe upliftment committee, stated that education is the strongest foundation for the progress of any society. He urged all the enlightened members and youth of the society to prioritize education and guide the next generation correctly.
Chief Minister Shri Sai said in his address that the real progress of the tribal society will happen when education, economic empowerment, and social unity are promoted equally. He said that the state government is committed to the upliftment of every section of society and new heights of development will be seen in the coming years. He said that education and unity alone pave the way for the prosperity of society, state, and nation. Discussing the historical journey of the Khadiya community, he recalled the historic decision of including the community in the Scheduled Tribe category in 2011 and appreciated the efforts of the then Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh for it.
The program began with paying tributes to the photographs of Mother Saraswati and freedom fighter martyr Telanga Khadiya. MLA and Vice President of Sarguja Area Development Authority Smt. Gomati Sai, former MLA Shri Bharat Sai, and prominent officials of the society were present on this occasion.
Government gave new dimensions to development in 13 months
Chief Minister Shri Sai said that the state government has implemented Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s guarantees on the ground in just 13 months. He informed that in the very first cabinet meeting after the formation of the government, a decision was taken to benefit 18 lakh families under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
He said that prioritizing the interests of farmers, the paddy procurement rate has been fixed at ₹3,100 per quintal, due to which farmers have benefited from selling paddy at the rate of 21 quintals per acre in the last two Kharif seasons. This year, more than 149 lakh metric tons of paddy have been procured in the state, setting a new record.
Government’s concrete efforts for the upliftment of the tribal community
While giving information about the steps taken for the tribal society, Chief Minister Shri Sai informed that the tendu leaf collection rate has been increased from ₹4,000 to ₹5,500 per standard bag, which is directly benefiting lakhs of collectors.
In addition, ₹1,000 financial assistance is being provided per month under the Mahatari Vandana Yojana to empower 70 lakh mothers and sisters economically.
Under the Deendayal Upadhyay Landless Agricultural Labourers Welfare Scheme, an assistance amount of ₹10,000 is being given annually to landless agricultural laborers, which is directly benefiting the most needy section of society.
Chief Minister Shri Sai said that schemes like PM Janman Yojana and Dharti Aba Tribal Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan are being run for the education and overall development of the tribal society.
He informed that to give more opportunities to tribal youth preparing for the UPSC, the number of seats in the Tribal Youth Hostel located in Dwarka, Delhi has been increased from 50 to 185.
Furthermore, 341 schools are being included under the PM SHRI scheme in the state to provide high-quality education to children, so that they can avail the benefits of facilities similar to private schools.
Tribal society must move forward by organizing itself: MLA Smt. Gomati Sai
MLA Smt. Gomati Sai said that the society that emphasizes education, economic development, and social unity progresses. She appealed to the people of the tribal society to move forward unitedly, so that the overall development of every section can be possible. All the people present in the meeting resolved to work collectively for the education, employment, and social upliftment of the tribal society.
On this occasion, Khadiya Samaj’s state president Shri Madan Nayak, district patron Shri Bodh Sai Manjhi, district general secretary Shri Krpal Manjhi, district vice-president Shri Ramsagar Soreng and Shri Bal Kumar Pradhan, along with a large number of dignitaries of the society were present.