‘Dolis’ in tribal tracts passe: CM

Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has instructed officials to ensure that incidents of women being carried in Dolis in tribal areas are eliminated. Instead, he has directed the reintroduction of feeder ambulances. The CM has called for the reopening of pregnant dormitories, which were previously provided by the Telugu Desam government for expectant tribal women. The Chief Minister also emphasized the need to organize International Tribal Day next month.
During a review meeting of the tribal welfare department at the state secretariat on Tuesday, the CM assessed the current status of education, medical, and welfare schemes for tribals.
He criticised the previous YSRCP government for undermining the programs in place from 2014 to 2019. Chandrababu pointed out that initiatives such as NTR Vidyonnathi, Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi, and Best Available Schools for tribal students had been compromised. He also noted that the feeder ambulances introduced for tribal healthcare had been neglected.
The CM discussed the promotion of Araku coffee, noting that while it had been a priority, the subsequent government failed to support the sale of tribal products alongside Araku coffee. He highlighted the national and international demand for tribal products and suggested that leveraging this could bring significant improvements to tribal livelihoods. He proposed promoting agriculture, including honey, horticulture, and coffee, in tribal areas to achieve better results.
CM Chandrababu instructed officials to take measures to completely halt Ganja cultivation in tribal regions. He called for the reinstatement of Tricar, GCC, and ITDA, urging an acceleration of their activities. The CM also directed officials to review and enhance tribal welfare schemes implemented by the Center, and to develop plans to secure state funding. He recommended gathering comprehensive details on tribal land use, crop income, and per capita income from tribal products to better inform policy and support.