JAMMU: Minister for Tribal Affairs Javed Ahmed Rana today directed the Project Management Unit (PMU) established under the department to serve as the nodal body for monitoring and coordinating tribal welfare programmes across Jammu and Kashmir, ensuring effective implementation.
The Minister, while speaking at a meeting held with the Project Management Unit, exhorted upon them to function as the institutional backbone for monitoring and coordination of all tribal welfare programmes across the Union Territory.
The meeting focused on strengthening the monitoring and reporting mechanisms of the department so that the implementation of various tribal welfare initiatives is tracked in a systematic and time-bound manner.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Director Tribal Affairs, Jammu and Nodal Officer, Tribal Research Institute (TRI) J&K, Dr Abdul Khabir, officials of PMU and other officers.
During the interaction, the Minister held detailed deliberations with the PMU team regarding their role in strengthening the monitoring framework of the department and ensuring better coordination between the department and district-level institutions implementing various tribal welfare schemes.
The Minister emphasised that the PMU must function as a professional support system to the department and assist in building a strong Management Information System for real-time monitoring of schemes and programmes meant for tribal communities. He directed the PMU to broaden the scope of research with in-depth exploration of key tribal development issues, including documentation and study of tribal languages, culture and history. He emphasised the need to undertake time-bound studies and focus on target-specific interventions to ensure effective planning and implementation of welfare initiatives.
He said the PMU should work closely with the district administrations and field-level officers to collect accurate data regarding the implementation of schemes such as scholarship programmes, livelihood initiatives, Van Dhan Vikas Kendras, Eklavya Model Residential Schools, tribal hostels and other development interventions being implemented for the welfare of tribal communities.
Rana directed the PMU to put in place a clear mechanism for tracking progress of schemes on a regular basis and preparing periodic analytical reports for the department. These reports, he said, should highlight the status of implementation, identify bottlenecks and provide practical recommendations so that timely corrective action can be taken wherever required.
He further asked the PMU to support the department in documentation of field-level experiences, good practices and success stories emerging from tribal areas. Such documentation, he said, would help in improving policy design and sharing successful models across different regions of the Union Territory.
He called upon the PMU team to work with dedication and professionalism so that the Tribal Affairs Department is able to deliver measurable and visible outcomes on the ground. He said that the ultimate objective of the department must be to ensure that development initiatives reach the last tribal household in the remotest village. The department must ensure long-term empowerment and dignity of the tribal populace.
