Bhubaneswar: Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram today emphasized on implementation of more pro-people programmes across Odisha by the ST, SC Development Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department and asked the officials to stress on vocational courses to ensure livelihood opportunities and preserving the unique tribal linguistic identity.
While holding a brief on the affairs of the Department at the State Guest House here, the Union Minister suggested to carry out a detailed mapping of schools across Odisha as density-wise there is a disparity and said that there should be equitable availability of the educational institutions for the disadvantaged groups and communities.
Stressing on the upgradation of the senior secondary schools into degree colleges to enable the tribal students avail opportunity to have graduation so that they could compete with the other students for career-oriented examinations. He also asked to ensure coaching facilities in them for different job openings.
Shri Oram also asked for inclusion of more vocational courses to enable students options for them after Class X or XII so that those, who are interested to have professional courses, could choose their careers and grow independently as earning members of their families.
“Let Odisha start such a skill related initiative in India as a pilot project so that we could implement it in a pan-Indian scenario,’’ observed the Union Minister.
Secretary ST, SC Development Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department, Roopa Roshan Sahoo briefed the Union Minister about their respective domains, projects and programmes. Director Tribal Affairs Indramani Tripathy and other senior officers attended the meeting.
The Union Minister also asked the Department officials to regularly monitor the execution of various infrastructure development works in Odisha.
Regarding saturation of amenities of the various tribal and PVTG communities, the Minister directed to expedite the mapping and identify gaps.
While reviewing the work of SCSTRTI (SC,ST Research and Training Institute) and ATLC (Academy of Tribal Languages and Culture) the Oram gave emphasis on the preservation, documentation and publication of multilingual books so that more and more persons from the original tribal communities and others from major language users could be benefitted.