Bhubaneswar: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik played his tribal card by announcing Tribal Special Development Council, first of its kind the country, for inclusive growth of the forest dwellers.
Naveen, breaking long years of tradition, Wednesday addressed the media soon after the cabinet to tell that the Development Council would be in place in 9 tribal districts of the state. The districts are Koraput, Rayagada, Nawarangpur, Malkangiri, Sundergarh, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Kandhamal and Boudh. He said that there are 62 tribal communities including 13 vulnerable groups living in the state. All the communities, irrespective of their population, would participate in the decision making body to usher their own development, he added.
The chief secretary, AP Padhi, and the development commissioner, R Balakrishnan, said that the modalities of formation of the Council would be notified later on. They, however, clarified that the Council would be inclusive and representatives of all the tribal communities would be represented in the Council.
