CM Yogi's Tribal Promise: No Eligible Family Left Behind in UP Schemes

He said the NDA’s double-engine government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is committed to ensuring development, security and good governance while making the tribal community an equal partner in the state's progress.

Speaking at the Tribal Pride Day programme in Chopan, organised to mark the 150th birth anniversary of “Dharti Aba” Birsa Munda, the Chief Minister said the event was aimed at linking tribal pride with modern development.

“Birsa Munda’s message of ‘Abu Desh, Abu Raj’ is reflected today in the spirit of ‘Nation First’. Our government stands firmly with the tribal community for their security, dignity and self-reliance,” he said.

Yogi expressed confidence that tribals across Uttar Pradesh, inspired by Birsa Munda’s ideals, would continue to contribute actively to the nation’s unity, security and prosperity.

He recalled that Birsa Munda’s struggle against British rule forced the colonial government to recognise tribal rights, and said the present government is carrying this legacy forward through respect, participation and development.

A large gathering of tribal community members at the event, he said, symbolised growing aspirations and faith in change.

Descendants of freedom fighters were honoured, and land pattas were distributed to tribal families under the Forest Rights Act.

The Chief Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth Rs 548 crore for Sonbhadra.

A booklet on Sonbhadra’s tourist spots and a book on Birsa Munda were also released.

He distributed certificates to beneficiaries of various schemes and flagged off 25 scooters for women police officers under Mission Shakti.

Cultural troupes from Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Sonbhadra showcased the diversity of India’s tribal heritage through traditional dance performances.

CM Yogi highlighted Sonbhadra’s unique geographical and cultural identity, describing it as both the energy capital and a repository of human history and natural heritage.

He said the 1.4-billion-year-old fossil remains at Salkhan Fossil Park -- now included in the UNESCO World Heritage list -- strengthened the district’s global profile.

Of the 15 tribes in Uttar Pradesh, 14 reside in Sonbhadra, home to over four lakh tribal residents whose lives, he said, represent a living heritage of human civilisation.

The Chief Minister said the Dharti Aaba Tribal Village Utkarsh Abhiyan, under the PM Jan Man Yojana, is driving infrastructure and holistic development in 517 tribal-dominated villages.

Uttar Pradesh’s 11 lakh tribal population, spread across districts including Sonbhadra, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Chitrakoot, Balrampur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Shravasti and Bahraich, is being covered under various schemes with a saturation approach to ensure no eligible family is left out, he said.

He criticised previous governments for delaying decisions even after amendments to the Forest Rights Act, which, he said, led to the exploitation of tribal communities.

The present government, however, he said, has taken decisive steps to grant forest land leases to genuine claimants. Over 23,000 forest rights leases had already been approved, and more than 1,000 were distributed at Saturday’s event.

“This has not only given tribal families ownership rights but also ended a decades-old cycle of fear and exploitation,” he said.

Yogi said ensuring access to social security -- land pattas, housing, ration cards, Ayushman Bharat cards, toilets, and pensions for the elderly and destitute women -- was a key priority of the government.

- IANS