Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) at Lok Seva Bhawan, underscoring the state government’s commitment to inclusive and culturally sensitive development of tribal communities in Odisha.
Addressing the meeting, which was attended by 18 members of the Council, the Chief Minister said that tribal communities should be viewed not merely as beneficiaries of welfare schemes but as equal partners in the state’s development process. He highlighted various Central and State government initiatives aimed at tribal welfare and called for a holistic approach that balances economic progress with the preservation of cultural and religious traditions.
Majhi emphasised the need to pay special attention to the religious sentiments of tribal communities, in addition to livelihood and economic development. He proposed providing allowances to priests serving in tribal villages and ensuring focused development and protection of tribal places of worship. The Chief Minister noted that a final decision on the proposal would be taken after detailed study and further discussions.
Several key recommendations were made during the meeting. The Council decided to push for accelerated eco-tourism initiatives in tribal areas, along with an expansion of tribal homestays to promote sustainable livelihoods. It also stressed the importance of recording Records of Rights (RoR) for Scheduled Tribes in both Odia and English to ensure better accessibility and transparency.
The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) was directed to undertake detailed research and submit recommendations to the next TAC meeting on the inclusion of additional communities under the Scheduled Tribe category. Proposals received from the Governor’s office were also slated for discussion at the forthcoming Council meeting.
In another significant decision, it was resolved that an inter-departmental committee would study Odisha-specific rules under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) and place its recommendations before the next meeting of the Tribal Advisory Council.
The Council further recommended broadening academic options in Ekalavya Model Residential Schools by including Arts and Commerce streams along with Science in Classes 11 and 12.
The meeting was attended by Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Development Minister Nityananda Gond, Keonjhar MP Ananta Nayak, Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi, members of the Council and MLAs. Senior officials present included Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Development Commissioner Anu Garg, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Satyabrata Sahu, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Saswat Mishra, Principal Secretary (Law) Pabitra Mohan Samal, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the ST & SC Development Department B. Parameswaran, Secretary of Panchayati Raj Department Girish S.N., and other officials.
