March 25 2011
Congress MLAs representing tribal areas were vocal over issues pertaining to tribals in the state during the discussion on budgetary demands for the state tribal welfare, environment and forest department in the assembly on Thursday. Mohansinh Rathava, Ishwar Vahiya, Paranjayadityasinh Parmar, Kunwarji Halpati, Dr. Anil Joshiyara talked at length about various issues pertaining to tribals. “In spite of the Rs367 crore funding from the Centre in 2009-10 and 2010-11, tribals living in Dahod and Vadodara have not been given drinking water facility.There is no information on money spent for them through Development Support Agency Gujarat (DSAG),” said Mohansinh Rathava said.He said that the funds were registered unconstitutionally under the chief minister’s 10 point program for the tribals. “All the money for tribal development is distributed among different department and as a result tribals do not benefit from them,” he said. Paranjayadityasinh Parmar raised the issue of giving Schedule Tribe caste certificate to tribals living in the eastern belt of the state. Parmar said that while the state government is running various tribal related schemes and scholarships in the tribal regions, it is not issuing Schedule Tribe caste certificate to the students.“These students’ parents have the tribe certificate while the children do not have it,” he said. Ishwar Vahia, MLA from Mahuva alleged that the state government is diverting funds for tribal development to the urban area. “You have provided Rs185 crore for our health and of this Rs95 crore have gone to cities,” he said. Kunwarji Halpati alleged that DSAG is set up for tribal welfare but all its employees are non-tribals. However, the state environment forest and tribal welfare minister Mangubhai Patel said development of the tribals has been significantly visible in the tribal areas and budgetary provisions of Rs17,756 crores have been made in the five years.
referance:http://www.wonkish.org/2011/03/25/congress-mlas-criticise-gujarat-govt-attitude-towards-tribal-issues/Congress stages walkout in Guj Assembly over tribal land issue
March 9 2011
Gandhinagar (Guj), Mar 9 (PTI) Opposition Congress staged a walkout from Gujarat Assembly today on the issue of allotment of forest land to adivasi population, alleging that the ruling BJP was anti-tribal.During the Question-Answer Session of the State Assembly, Congress alleged that the state government was not giving land to tribals as per rules described in the Forest Rights Act (FRA).Congress MLA from Dediapada in south Gujarat Amarsingh Vasava had asked the question on the status of applications under FRA of Tapi district.Leader of Opposition Shaktisingh Gohil said in the last three years, 11,947 applications have been made under the Act, out of which only 728 have been approved while 3,148 have been rejected and over 8,000 applications were still pending.He said despite certification from Gram Sabha, the applications of tribals under the FRA were being rejected.Minister of Forest and Environment Mangubhia Patel said that every genuine application for forest land would be approved.He further said since 1966, the Gujarat government had given forest lands to 45,000 tribals even before the FRA was introduced.While the minister was speaking, Congress members stood up and started shouting slogans saying that injustice was being done to tribals under the Narendra Modi government.Following noisy scenes for a few minutes, they walked out of the House.After the Question Answer Session, Legislative Affairs Minister Dilip Sanghani raised the walkout issue by the Opposition when the minister was giving a reply.He said the Opposition did not listen to the answer given by the Forest Minister and staged a walkout and demanded that they should apologise for it.Gohil said that they walked out because rights of tribals were being curtailed as their applications of land were being rejected despite certification from Gram panchayats.Assembly Speaker Ganpat Vasava, after hearing the ruling party and the Opposition, said the point raised was "valid".
reference :http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5011938
Tribal leader elected Speaker of Gujarat Assembly February 25 2011
Ganpat Vasava, a tribal leader, has been unanimously elected Speaker of the Gujarat Assembly on the opening day of the budget session on Thursday.Elected from the Scheduled Tribe reserved constituency of Mangrol in Surat district, Mr. Vasava is the first tribal to be chosen Speaker. The election was necessitated due to the death of Speaker Ashok Bhatt in December last.The session began with the inaugural address by Governor Kamla Beniwal, during which the Opposition Congress members created ruckus, forcing the Governor to cut short her speech. They also shouted slogans outside the House after she left.
Modi inaugurates major farming development scheme
Fri Jan 21 2011
Gandhinagar, Jan 21 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Friday inaugurated a first of its kind public-private partnership (PPP) with US farm equipment major John Deere, which could impact over 50,000 families over five years. Signed under the aegis of the state’s Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojna (ten-point programme for tribal welfare), the agreement entails John Deere opening 84 agriculture implement resource centres across the state.A total of 529 tractors, each with a set of 13 implements, a trained operator and maintenance staff would be deployed across these centres in two phases for the benefit of marginalised tribal farmers, who will only have to bear the operating and maintenance costs, an official said.Speaking at the launch, Modi said that the PPP, first of its kind in the agriculture sector nationwide, is a shining example of how to help empower and provide economic wealth to marginalised farmers.Samuel R. Allen, chairman and chief executive officer of John Deere, said that the company will train 1,000 local youth as tractor operators and another 500 as mechanics as an integral part of the programme.Four local NGOs, Sadguru Foundation, ANaRDe Foundation, Shroffs Foundation and JNPCT, have been entrusted with the task of creating self-help groups that cover 100 acres of farm land each and in ensuring early adoption of this programme.
Gujarat Budget:30 new GIDC estates in backward/tribal areas, Piped gas to 2 lac homes