Deliberations on Preparing a Roadmap for Tribal Area Development

Udaipur: A workshop was organized at the TRI Auditorium to strengthen the Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (district units) operating in scheduled areas under the Tribal Area Development Department. The event was jointly organized by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, and the Manikya Lal Verma Tribal Research and Training Institute (TRI), Udaipur.

In the inaugural address, Dr. Varnali Deka, Director at the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, emphasized the crucial role of district units in implementing tribal welfare schemes. She stated that the Government of India aims to strengthen these units, and highlighted the importance of field feedback in this process. She encouraged participants to share their suggestions openly.

Commissioner of the Tribal Area Development Department, Laxmi Narayan Mantri, informed that Rajasthan currently has five Integrated Tribal Development Agencies located in Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara, Pratapgarh, and Abu Road–Sirohi. He elaborated on the department’s structure and shared key suggestions for improving the functioning of these district units.

TRI Director O.P. Jain welcomed the participants and outlined the objectives of the workshop. He noted that all five district units in Rajasthan have been operational since 1974–75 and stressed the need to strengthen their technical wings.

Deputy Commissioner of Abu Road, Rajlakshmi Gehlot, suggested organizing block-level workshops. Deputy Commissioner of Dungarpur, Satyaprakash Kaswan, shared ideas on enhancing sports facilities in hostels and improving academic quality. Deputy Commissioners from Udaipur, Pratapgarh, and Banswara also presented their suggestions during the session.

The workshop was conducted by Sudhir Dave, Director (Statistics), TRI Udaipur, and the vote of thanks was delivered by Additional Commissioner Anil Kumar Sharma.