BHUBANESWAR: The State Government will soon launch a scheme for livelihood, capacity building support and overall development of the primitive tribal groups (PTGs) with a budget of ` 660 crore. Sources said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has cleared such a proposal which will be first of its kind. Many of the PTGs are on the verge of extinction. The Department of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Development have reportedly submitted the five-point programme. The scheme will be implemented in two phases. First, a pilot project of three years and then the entire scheme for five years. There are mainly 13 PTGs in Odisha including Birhor, Bando Paraja, Didayi, Dongaria Kondh, Juang, Kharia, Kutia Khond, Lanjia Soura, Lodha, Mankidia, Paudi Bhuyan, Soura and Chuktia Bhunjia.Five components of the scheme are, beneficiary capacity building and empowerment, livelihood enhancement, community infrastructure, strengthening PTG culture and tradition. The total population of PTGs of Orissa was 58,225 as per 1991 census. The population of PTGs of Odisha, as per baseline survey conducted by the State Government is 78,519. Issues that require immediate attention are raising family income through improved productivity of land, income generating activities, wage earning, ensuring food and providing nutrition security. Official sources said other problems to be sorted out through the implementation of the scheme will be connectivity to PTG villages, supply of drinking water, health and sanitation improvement, housing and literacy, said sources.
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