Lok Sabha Question No. 952 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-27
Subject: BPL in Tribals
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: RAOSAHEB PATIL DANVE

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

(MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS)

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †952**

TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.07.2015

**BPL IN TRIBALS**

†952. 	SHRI RAOSAHEB DANVE PATIL:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

1. the number of tribal people living below poverty line in the country including Maharashtra; and

1. the details of the schemes being implemented by the Union Government for poverty alleviation and industrial development of the said people along with the contribution of the State Government in the said schemes?

**ANSWER**

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

(SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA)

(a): 	 As per the poverty ratios estimated by the erstwhile Planning Commission, during 2011-12 at all India level, the percentage of population of Scheduled Tribes (ST) below poverty line in rural and urban areas was 45.3% and 24.1%, respectively.  The State-wise figures, including Maharashtra are given at Annexure-I.

(b):	 Over the years, the Central and State Governments have been taking various initiatives for socio-economic upliftment of tribal population of the country. This includes the Tribal Sub Plan Strategy (TSP Strategy) implemented since 1974-75. Government through various interventions has strategized the overall development and welfare of tribal people across the country, which takes care of necessary support for education, health, sanitation, water supply, housing, livelihood, agriculture & irrigation, skill development, etc. to improve their economic, educational and social conditions. State Governments have to earmark and spend tribal population proportion of their total Plan Funds and accordingly, States are spending funds for the poverty alleviation and industrial development of the tribal people under their respective Tribal Sub Plans. The major part of development activities is carried out through various schemes/programmes of concerned Central Ministries and the State Governments, while the Ministry of Tribal Affairs provides additive to these initiatives by way of plugging critical gaps.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs administers two special area programmes namely Special Central Assistance (SCA) to Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) and Grants under Article 275 (1) of the Constitution wherein funds are provided to 23 States and 27 States, respectively.  Under these programmes, this Ministry supplements the State Tribal Sub Plan as an additive for undertaking various tribal development initiatives and for raising the level of administration in Scheduled Areas with an aim to boost the economic and social status of tribal people.  The grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution also cover setting up of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs).  Besides, this Ministry has launched a new Central Sector Scheme ‘Van Bandhu Kalyan Yojana (VKY)’ during 2014-15.  The VKY has been adopted as a strategic process to ensure effective utilization of available financial resources under Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP).  This process envisages to ensure delivery of goods and services to the tribal population across the country while striking at the critical gaps in a targeted manner through appropriate institutional mechanism, 100% grants-in-aid is provided by Ministry of Tribal Affairs under these programmes and VKY scheme.

National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC), under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, implements schemes for self-employment of Scheduled Tribes by providing concessional financial assistance to individuals or groups of STs for undertaking Income Generation Activities.  This financial assistance is extended through channelising agencies throughout India for eligible STs. Details of schemes being implemented by NSTFDC are given at Annexure-II.

Government has taken a number of other steps to provide employment and overall development of tribal population. Some of the major initiatives are as follows:

1. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) guaranteeing 150 days wage employment to ST households living in forest area who have got ‘pattas’ under the Forest Right Act 2006.

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

1. Indira Awaas Yojana for rural housing, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana for rural connectivity, National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) for social assistance to rural poor.

As informed by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, that Ministry has been implementing various central sector schemes for the promotion and development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSME) in the country which helps in poverty alleviation and industrial development of all MSME entrepreneurs including tribal entrepreneurs. These schemes facilitate availability of credit, cluster development, infrastructure development, marketing development, enhancing competitiveness, promoting skill development and technological upgradation through the Credit Guarantee Scheme, Cluster Development Scheme, Marketing Development Assistance Scheme, National Manufacturing Competitiveness Programme, Skill Development Programme, Capital Linked Credit Subsidy Scheme, etc. As part of the schemes, special dispensation for financial assistance is provided for tribal MSME entrepreneurs. The schemes being central sector schemes, there is no contribution of the State Governments.

Annexure-I referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Parliament Question No.952 for answer on 27.07.2015

**State -wise Percentage of ST Population Below Poverty Line, 2011-12**

(Tendulkar Methodology)

| S. No.   | States           |   Rural |   Urban |
|----------|------------------|---------|---------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh   |    24.1 |    12.1 |
| 2        | Assam            |    33.4 |    15.6 |
| 3        | Bihar            |    59.3 |    10.3 |
| 4        | Chhattisgarh     |    52.6 |    35.2 |
| 5        | Gujarat          |    36.5 |    30.1 |
| 6        | Himachal Pradesh |     9.5 |     4.0 |
| 7        | Jammu & Kashmir  |    16.3 |     3.0 |
| 8        | Jharkhand        |    51.6 |    28.7 |
| 9        | Karnataka        |    30.8 |    33.7 |
| 10       | Kerala           |    41.0 |    13.6 |
| 11       | Madhya Pradesh   |    55.3 |    32.3 |
| 12       | Maharashtra      |    61.6 |    23.3 |
| 13       | Orissa           |    63.5 |    39.7 |
| 14       | Rajasthan        |    41.4 |    21.7 |
| 15       | Tamil Nadu       |    36.8 |     2.8 |
| 16       | Uttar Pradesh    |    27.0 |    16.3 |
| 17       | Uttarakhand      |    11.9 |    25.7 |
| 18       | West Bengal      |    50.1 |    44.5 |
|          | **All India**    |    45.3 |    24.1 |

NB: 1. The poverty ratios among the social groups are estimated from the percentage distribution of persons of the respective social groups as obtained from the large sample survey consumer expenditure data of the National Sample Survey (NSS) and the poverty line for all population.

2.   The poverty ratio among Scheduled Tribes population at State level may be treated with caution due to small sample size of household based on which the class distribution of persons have been obtained.

3. Source: Planning Commission.

Annexure-II referred to in reply to part (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Parliament Question No.952 for answer on 27.07.2015

**SCHEMES OF NSTFDC FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHEDULED TRIBES**

- **Term Loan scheme:** National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) provides Term Loan for any income generation scheme costing upto Rs.25.00 lakhs per unit. The financial assistance is extended upto 90% of the cost of the scheme and the balance is met by way of subsidy/ promoter’s contribution/ margin money. The interest rate chargeable is 6% per annum for loan upto Rs.5 lakhs, 8% per annum for loans ranging between Rs.5 lakhs to Rs. 10 lakhs and 10% per annum for loan exceeding Rs. 10 lakhs on the entire amount of loan.
- **Adivasi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana (AMSY):** Under the scheme, Scheduled Tribes women can undertake any income generation activity. Loans upto 90% for scheme costing upto Rs. 1 lakh are provided at a concessional rate of interest of 4% per annum (p.a.).
- **Micro Credit Scheme for Self Help Groups** : The Corporation provides loans upto Rs.50,000/- per member and Rs. 5 Lakhs per Self Help Group (SHG). The interest rate chargeable is 6% p.a.
- **Adivasi Shiksha Rrinn Yojana** : Under this scheme, financial assistance upto Rs.5.00 lakh at concessional rate of interest of 6% per annum is provided to ST students for pursuing professional/ technical education including Ph.D. in India. Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India provides interest subsidy for this scheme, whereby, no interest is payable by a student during the course period and one year or six months after getting the job, as the case may be. There is also a provision for providing further concessional finance for undertaking any income generation activity after completion of studies.

- **Tribal Forest Dwellers Empowerment Scheme** : Under the scheme, NSTFDC provides financial assistance to Scheduled Tribes given land rights under Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Loan upto 90% of the scheme costing upto Rs. 1 lakh can be provided at rate of interest of 6% p.a. This is a new scheme.

- **Scheme for NGOs/ EVAs:** This is a newly launched scheme under which NSTFDC provides loans upto Rs.50,000/- per member and Rs. 5 Lakhs per Self Help Group (SHG) through NGOs/ Established Voluntary Agencies. The interest rate chargeable is 12% p.a. from members of SHGs against which they will get an interest incentive of 4% on timely payment thus making the effective rate of interest to 8%.

*********