New Delhi: To undertake welfare measures for
some of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PTG), a
Parliamentary Committee on Tuesday asked the Tribal Affairs
Ministry to carry out a study to find out reasons behind their
declining population.
"One of the reasons for identifying tribal groups as PTG
is to arrest the decline or stagnation in their population.
The Committee strongly views that the Ministry should find out
the real causes of their decline," the panel, chaired by
Congress MP Biren Singh Engti, said in its report.
Having noted that the Ministry has not conducted any
study in this regard, the Committee strongly recommends that a
study should be undertaken or sponsored to find out causes of
decline or stagnation in their population, it said.
Expressing surprise over lack of Central government
funded schools for PTG in tribal areas, the Committee urged
Tribal Affairs Ministry to encourage all states governments to
build residential schools for PTG on priority.
On lack of hospitals in tribal areas, the panel
recommended, "The Ministry should encourage all states having
PTGs to construct hospitals and clinics for them with help of
Central funds so that they need not travel long distances to
avail health facilities."
The Ministry was advised to ensure that the states do not
divert the funds meant for development of PTGs for financing
other schemes.
Asking it to be careful while releasing funds to NGOs,
the report said, "The Ministry should have some foolproof
mechanism by which genuineness and actual motive of every NGO
can be thoroughly verified before release of funds."
On shortage of staff in the Ministry to monitor the
programs initiated for welfare of PTGs, the report said, "A
separate section with adequate number of officers and staff
may be set up in the Ministry to deal with matters relating to
PTGs."
The report also said the evaluation of PTG scheme was
assigned to Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA)
for realistic assessment and timely financial allocation.
PTI
