Union Budget 2024-25: ₹13,000 Crore Boost for Tribal Development with New Initiatives

New Delhi: The Union Budget 2024-25 has earmarked approximately ₹13,000 crore for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, marking a notable increase of 73.60% over the previous year’s Revised Estimate (RE). This substantial boost underscores the government’s commitment to the socio-economic upliftment of tribal communities across India.

Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan

In a landmark announcement, Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, introduced the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan. This initiative aims to enhance the living conditions of tribal families in 63,000 villages within tribal-majority areas and aspirational districts, benefiting an estimated 5 crore tribal people.

Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Shri Jual Oram, expressed his gratitude, stating, “We are grateful to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman for the announcement of the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan. This initiative is a testament to the Government’s commitment to the integrated socio-economic growth, infrastructure development, and generation of economic opportunities for the upliftment of tribal communities across India.”

Increased Allocations for Tribal Development

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, responsible for the overall policy, planning, and coordination of programs for the development of Scheduled Tribes, has seen its budget allocation increase significantly from ₹4,497.96 crore in 2014-15 to ₹13,000 crore in 2024-25, reflecting an approximate increase of 189.02%.

Under the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP), now known as the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST), 42 Ministries/Departments allocate funds ranging from 4.3% to 17.5% of their total scheme allocation annually for tribal development projects. These projects span various sectors including education, health, agriculture, irrigation, roads, housing, electrification, employment generation, and skill development. The DAPST fund allocation has increased about 5.8 times since 2013-14, from ₹21,525.36 crore (Actual Expenditure) in 2013-14 to ₹1,24,908.00 crore in the Budget Estimate (BE) for 2024-25.