‘11 new IAS officers will transform tribal department’

Tribal development minister Vishnu Savara has claimed that the current scenario in his department would change entirely in three years, as it now has a team of 11 fresh Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officers. According to Mr Savara, this unprecedented move will change the face of the department.

Mr Savara said he wanted to usher in changes as the department was tainted by corruption charges and allegations over procurement in mats and uniforms for students among other things.

The tribal department gets massive funds through budgetary allocations. While last year Rs 5,108.70 crore was allocated, this time the figure stands at Rs 6,246.62 crore. Mr Savara said, “We have decided to set up a special cell to monitor proper utilisation of funds for tribals in other departments.” He further added that earlier the funds were transferred to other departments without taking the minister’s consent, but he had stopped this practice.

The tribal department has a presence in Amravati, Nagpur, Nashik and Nandurbar divisions, and each division has an additional tribal commissioner. There 29 project offices in these divisions, out of which 11 project offices are sensitive. Mr Savara said, for the first time, his department had received 11 fresh IAS officers.

“We have appointed them in sensitive project offices, as they are new and new officers have the courage to accept any challenge,” he said.

He further said, the tribal department would start the ‘Eklavya Krida ani Udyojagata Prabodhini’ (Eklavya Sports and Entrepreneurship Academy) at Palghar to discover and promote sportsmen from the tribal community.