Lok Sabha Question No. 2301 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-14
Subject: Swarnim Yojana
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: ARJUNLAL MEENA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## (MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS) LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.2301

TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.12.2015

## SWARNIM YOJANA

## †2301.     SHRI ARJUN LAL MEENA:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has launched a new Swarnim Yojana for the women belonging to Scheduled Tribes Sub Plan region;

(b) if so, the salient features of the said scheme and details of the fund allocated along with number of women benefitted under this scheme particularly in Rajasthan; and

(c) the details of schemes being run at present for the women belonging to Scheduled Tribes Sub-Plan Area?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA)

(a) & (b): Ministry of Tribal Affairs has not launched any new scheme namely Swarnim Yojana for the women belonging to Scheduled Tribes Sub Plan region.

(c):  Government has adopted a multi-pronged strategy for overall development of tribal people across the country including tribal women, which takes care of necessary support for education, health, sanitation, water supply, livelihood etc. The major part of infrastructural development activities is carried out through various schemes/programmes of concerned Central Ministries and  the  State  Governments,  while  the  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  though  its  Special  Area Programmes i.e. Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Plan (SCA to TSP) and Grants under Article 275(1) alongwith other Central Sector / Centrally Sponsored Schemes provides additive to these initiatives by way of plugging critical gaps.

During the current financial year, the Ministry has impressed upon the State Governments for promotion of need based integrated initiatives with the thrust to expend 50% of the budgetary support  for  women  beneficiaries  in  the  field  of  education,  Health  &  Sanitation,  skill development and livelihood programmes such as Dairy development with State cooperative, horticulture,  floriculture,  vegetable  production,  apiculture,  sericulture,  fisheries,  backyard poultries etc.

In  addition,  National  Scheduled  Tribes  Finance  and  Development  Corporation  (NSTFDC) under  the Ministry of Tribal  Affairs,  promotes  entrepreneurial  development  amongst

Scheduled Tribes.  This Corporation provides concessional financial assistance to individuals or  groups  of  STs  for  undertaking  self-employment  income  generation  activities  through  its channelizing agencies.  Further, Tribal Co -Operative Marketing Development Federation of India  Limited  (TRIFED)  imparts  skill  development  and  capacity  building  training  to  tribal Minor Forest Produce (MFP) gatherers and tribal artisans.

Besides  these,  Government  has  also  taken  other  steps  to  provide  employment  to  tribal population.  Some of the major initiatives are enlisted below:-

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) guaranteeing 150 days wage employment to STs households living in forest area who have got 'pattas' under the Forest Right Act 2006.

National  Rural  Livelihood  Mission  (NRLM)  which  aims  at  creating  efficient  and  effective institutional platforms of the rural tribal beneficiaries including women thereby enabling them to  increase  household  income  through  sustainable  livelihood  enhancements  and  improved access to financial services.

Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation (BRLF) to facilitate and upscale civil society action in partnership with Government for transforming livelihoods and lives of rural households, with an emphasis on women, particularly in the Central Indian Tribal Region.

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