The Hindu (Thiruvananthapuram)
Centre’s housing scheme for tribal groups facing hurdles due to lack of accurate data
Trying to collect data on possible beneficiaries while simultaneously implementing the project is slowing down the housing component of PM Janjati Adivasi Nyay Maha Abhiyaan (PMJANMAN).
Of the nearly five lakh houses that were to be constructed, the government had set a target of sanctioning 2.5 lakh by February 15. But more than a fortnight later, only 1.59 lakh houses could be sanctioned.
Going into an election year, this scheme is being implemented at a lightning speed. The PMJANMAN was announced in the Union Budget in 2023 and was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 15, with the target of rolling it out by January 15.
As The Hindu reported on February 17, the government relied on the PM Gati
Shakti portal to estimate the total population of 75 tribes, which have been grouped under the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) across the country. The government has three different estimates for the total PVTG population — 28 lakh to begin with in November, which increased to 36.5 lakh by midJanuary and ballooning further to 44.64 lakh by Januaryend.
Based on the numbers given by the Gati Shakti app, the State governments were given a month to conduct their own survey beginning from December 15. They were asked to come back to the Centre with an action plan by January 15, so that the sanctioning of houses could begin from January 25.
A majority of the States, according to sources, began work with halfcompleted surveys to meet the deadline. “As we are going along, there are many discrepancies between the data with the Tribal Affairs Ministry and ours. We have been told that for now, we can sanction houses only in the villages notified by the Centre, till the two databases are reconciled,” a senior official from Kerala explained.
For example, Madhya Pradesh, in multiple letters to the Union government, has flagged the fear that many beneficiaries will be left out. The State government has listed out several instances where the PVTGs are found in villages outside the ones notified by the Centre.
Kedar Singh, Director, Madhya Pradesh Rural Development Department, explained that since the count started, PVTGs have been found in 24 district against the initial figure of 16 districts. Fifty thousand additional households have been identified by the State which are eligible for the scheme. Tripura also has pointed out similar problems.
“The population is never static. Especially since these groups fall under the most vulnerable category, they migrate regularly looking for employment. We are trying to ensure that every eligible household is covered,” Sandeep Rathore, Secretary of Tripura Rural Development Department, explained.
The scheme has a total outlay of ₹24,104 crore to be spent over three years, of which nearly 80% is only for construction of houses and roads.