Odisha Government’s Tribal Outreach

General Studies Paper -1

Context: Recently the Odisha government announced measures for the welfare of tribal Population.

• The Odisha government announced the launch of LABHA (Laghu Bana Jatya Drabya Kraya) Yojana, for minor forest produce (MFP).
• It has also approved the establishment of aCommission for the Preservation and Promotion of the Tribal Languages of the Scheduled Tribes of Odisha.

LABHA (Laghu Bana Jatya Drabya Kraya) Yojana

• It is a 100% State-funded minimum support price (MSP)scheme for minor forest produce (MFP). The MSP will be determined every year by the State government.
• Under the scheme, a primary collector (a tribal person) will be able to sell the MFP.
• It will be collected at the procurement centers by the Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation Limited of Odisha (TDCCOL).
• These procurement centers will be managed by SHGs and any other notified agencies assisted by TDCCOL.
• As 99% of primary collectors are tribals and the majority of them are women, the LABHA Yojana will integrate the efforts with Mission Shakti’s Women SHGs(self help groups).
• The procurement automation system will be set up to capture the total collection of MFPs, the details of the primary collectors, and the procurement point.
• Significance: The LABHA Yojana will also eliminate the possibility of distress sale of produce to middlemen

Commission for the Preservation and Promotion of the Tribal Languages

• The Commission will encourage multilingual education, document and preserve tribal languages, promote the use and protect linguistic rights.
• The Commission will make efforts for inclusion of tribal languages like Ho, Mundari, Kui and Saora in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution

Tribal Population in Odisha

• Odisha is home to 62 distinct tribes, including 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG).
• The Scheduled Tribes in Scheduled Areas constitute approximately 09%of the total tribal population in the State.
• It ranks as the third largest concentration of a tribal population, trailing behind Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• There are 21 tribal languages in Odisha.