Centre committed to empower tribal communities Union minister

Aizawl, Jan 9 (PTI) Union Minister Durgadas Uikey said the Centre is committed to empower and uplift tribal communities in the country, particularly in the northeast region, an official statement here said.
    Uikey, the Union minister of state for Tribal Affairs, arrived in Aizawl on Tuesday on a three-day visit, and interacted with officials in the state over development initiatives under the Tribal Affairs ministry.
    He visited Mamit, the lone aspirational district in Mizoram, inspecting development initiatives under the Aspirational District Programme, and also held interaction with officials and tribal representatives on Wednesday, the official statement said.
    During a meeting with officials of various departments in Mamit, Uikey said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives priority to the uplift of people living in rural areas.
    He urged officials to make massive efforts to ensure that the schemes, which aimed at the uplift the marginalised sections, are successfully executed.
    The Union minister emphasised the importance of improving education and health sectors to uplift the people.
    Mamit deputy commissioner K Laltlawmlova presented a detailed overview of Mamit's development indicators.
    He informed the meeting that Mamit district, with a population of 1,01,290 spread over an area of 3,025 sq km, comprises 20,902 households and has achieved a literacy rate of 84.93 per cent.
    He pointed out that the district has made significant progress in different parameters under the Aspirational District Programme, which led the to district securing Rs 19 crore in funding from the NITI Aayog.
    In the last ranking, Mamit district held 5th rank among aspirational districts in the country, he said.
    Uikey also interacted with with representatives from various tribal communities in Mamit during which tribal leaders shared their challenges and pressing needs, including better access to education, healthcare, and infrastructure, the statement said.
    The Union minister assured them of the Centre's continued support and emphasised the importance of grassroots participation.
    On Tuesday, Uikey attended a meeting in Aizawl with Mizoram Social Welfare and Tribal Affairs, Women and Child Development minister Lalrinpuii and senior officials in Aizawl.
    He told the meeting that the Central government headed by Prime Minister Modi is making massive efforts to empower and uplift the tribal communities in the country, particularly in the Northeastern states.
    He stressed the importance of inclusive and equitable development and highlighted various schemes for the uplift of the tribal communities.
    He encouraged Mizoram to maximise these opportunities to achieve sustainable growth.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)