Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke virtually with tribal community members from across the country.
The programme was held in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra.
The event marked the 151st birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, a tribal freedom fighter.
Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas was observed as part of the celebrations.
During the programme, Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 246 development projects.
Together, they are worth about 3,000 crore rupees. A crore is ten million rupees.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
The projects aim to strengthen education, healthcare, livelihoods and community infrastructure for tribal people across the country.
Key points
- 246 projects worth about 3,000 crore rupees were launched in Gadchiroli.
- The focus is on education, healthcare, housing, livelihoods and infrastructure.
- 173 projects were inaugurated, including 38 Eklavya Model Residential Schools for tribal students.
- 100 Multi-Purpose Centres were set up under PM-JANMAN.
How have tribal families benefited from these schemes?
Krishna Nagorao Teka, a PM-JANMAN beneficiary from Yavatmal, spoke at the event.
PM-JANMAN is a central government scheme for tribal communities.
Teka said living in their old home was very hard during the rainy season. Insects and pests were also a problem.
Now, he said, his family has received a permanent house and a toilet. He thanked the Prime Minister for the help.
Vajir, from Hathakundi village in Gujarat's Bharuch district, also spoke.
He said he received bamboo work training in 2004 under the New Gujarat Pattern Yojana.
What did the Prime Minister say about bamboo laws?
Modi said the British had classed bamboo as a tree. Under that rule, anyone who cut bamboo could be sent to jail.
He said this law should have been abolished after independence.
He said some people in the earlier UPA-led government did not understand or care about tribal communities.
Modi said his government ended that law. He said tribal people now have full rights over bamboo.
What happens next for these projects?
Several more projects under PM-JANMAN and the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) were also launched.
DAJGUA is another campaign for tribal villages.
The projects cover schools, health, housing and livelihoods.
Their impact will show in the coming months as work moves on the ground.
Explainer
What happened before
- The British classed bamboo as a tree, so cutting it could lead to jail, according to Modi.
- Modi said this law should have been abolished after independence, but it was not.
- The event was held to mark the 151st birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, a tribal freedom fighter.
Why it matters
The projects cover education, healthcare, housing and livelihoods for tribal communities across the country. They affect many families directly.
What to watch next
- Several more projects under PM-JANMAN and DAJGUA were also launched during the programme.
