PM to chair National Council for Tribal Welfare
By IANSFriday, September 3, 2010
NEW DELHI - In a step to reiterate the government’s commitment to tribal welfare, an apex National Council for Tribal Welfare (NCTW), to be headed by the prime minister, was constituted Friday.
The formation of the NCTW was initiated by Minister of Tribal Affairs Kanti Lal Bhuria, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs said in a pesss release.
The proposed apex level council has 18 members.
Ministers of tribal affairs, finance, agriculture, home affairs, health and family welfare, environment and forests, human resource development, rural development, woman and child development, culture, mines, coal and power are the members of the council.
The other members include the Planning Commission deputy chairperson and the chief ministers of Schedule V and Schedule VI states.
The council would provide broad policy guidelines to bring about improvement in the lives of the Scheduled Tribes (ST) community in the country, the statement said.
“It would also review the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, implementation of the Schedule-V and Schedule-VI of the constitution, monitor the implementation of tribal sub-plan and the programmes aimed at protecting vulnerable tribal groups,” it said.
Meetings of the council would be linked with the meetings of the National Development Council (NDC) to ensure that they are held regularly.
“In addition to the council, a standing committee would also be constituted with minster of tribal affairs as chairperson and other members such as secretaries of ministries - finance, home, agriculture and health and family welfare,” it added.
