Empower tribal children through education, says minister

Bhubaneswar: The ST & SC Development Minister, Nityananda Gond. on Thursday chaired the two-day State- level conference of District Welfare Officers (DWOs) and PA-ITDAs.

He called for steps to facilitate work for infrastructure development of 450 hostels for residential schools, developing 100-seated hostels in areas sans hostels for ST and SC students, execution of Parichiti Scheme at 99 schools across the State to create awareness about tribal students on their own art, culture and languages and provisioning of tutors for hostels under Anwesha scheme to facilitate English medium education among ST and SC students.

The minister, while attending the first day of the conference at SC & ST Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI), also called upon the DWOs to work for the academic and intellectual development of the tribal children and ensure better health and hygiene.

They must also ensure that mosquito nets are supplied to everychild staying in a residential hostel across Odisha as malaria and dengue have started to spread their tentacles, he said

“Viksit Odisha” and a people-friendly government, as conceived by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, should bring about the willingness to work towards fulfilling the people’s requirements and demands, Gond said.

The minister also unveiled three books, “Lets Talk Safety” on good and bad touch and awareness among the girl boarders on teenage pregnancies and other issues (guidelines for headmasters); “Tribal Cuisines of Odisha” on the rich culinary traditions of the tribal and PVTG communities of Odisha and “Documentation of Good Practices” of SCSTRTI, all published by the ST and SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare department.

The State-level conference, moderated by Roopa Roshan Sahoo, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare department, dealt with issues such as amenities and entitlements in residential schools and hostels, HR relating to staffing pattern and the problems faced by the institutions, students’ admission, problems faced by boarders in hostels for girls and boys and utilisation of funds.