PM Modi credits tribal welfare schemes for poverty reduction, announces ₹3,000 crore projects

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said nearly 50 crore people had moved out of extreme poverty over the past 12-13 years and claimed that the country had become free from Naxalism and Maoist terror, describing the two developments as major achievements closely linked to the lives of India’s tribal communities.

Addressing the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas programme in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli through video conferencing, Modi said the government had prioritised tribal regions that had remained deprived of basic facilities for decades and allocated more than ₹1 lakh crore for the PM-JANMAN scheme and the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan.

“Priority to the deprived has been our priority,” he said, adding that the government’s efforts had helped bring development to regions that were among the most backward in the country.

Referring to a recent World Bank report, Modi said nearly 50 crore people had emerged from extreme poverty in the past 12-13 years. He described it as one of the biggest achievements since Independence, while acknowledging that the credit did not belong to any single government but reflected the collective efforts of society and citizens.

The Prime Minister said the government’s interventions, including housing, healthcare, electricity, sanitation and financial inclusion programmes, had contributed to the transformation. More than four crore permanent houses had been built for poor families, while electricity had been provided to 18,000 villages that had remained unelectrified for decades, he said.

Under Ayushman Bharat, eligible families were provided with health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh, while more than 1.75 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs had been established across the country, including in remote tribal regions. The Mudra scheme, he added, had helped poor families access collateral-free loans and create income opportunities.

Modi also highlighted the government’s focus on more than 100 Aspirational Districts and over 500 Aspirational Blocks, many of which have sizeable tribal populations. He said the PM Krishi Dhan Dhanya Yojana was another initiative aimed at improving agricultural opportunities in 100 districts.

On the security front, Modi said nearly 125 districts were affected by Naxalism and Maoism in 2014, with hundreds of violent incidents reported annually and thousands of innocent people losing their lives. Tribal communities had suffered disproportionately, he said.

Accusing previous governments of failing to protect tribal people from Maoist violence, he said villagers were deprived of basic rights, including the freedom to vote, while children and women faced abduction and intimidation.

With Naxalism defeated, people in former insurgency-affected areas were now experiencing a new sense of security and hope, he said. Referring to his recent Diwali visit to Bastar, Modi said the festival had brought not just the light of lamps but also hope to regions such as Gadchiroli.

The Prime Minister said more than 170 tribal development projects had been inaugurated across states on the occasion, while foundation stones were laid for over 70 others. Projects worth nearly ₹3,000 crore covered education, healthcare, marketing facilities for tribal products and basic infrastructure in villages.

A museum dedicated to freedom fighter Ropuiliani was inaugurated in Mizoram, while a new building of the Tribal Research Institute was inaugurated in Arunachal Pradesh.

Modi also paid tribute to tribal freedom fighters, including Birsa Munda, Tirot Sing, Sidho-Kanho, Rani Gaidinliu, Tantya Bhil, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Rani Durgavati. He said the observance of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, instituted in 2021, had evolved into a nationwide celebration of tribal heritage and identity.

Last year, during the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Birsa Munda, more than two lakh programmes were organised across the country, with participation from crores of people, he said.

Calling for greater participation in building a developed India, Modi said tribal communities were now contributing actively to national progress. He also referred to President Droupadi Murmu as a symbol of the growing role of tribal leadership.

The Prime Minister urged people to celebrate November 15 with greater enthusiasm every year and take time-bound resolutions for tribal development, saying goals that had remained unfulfilled for decades must now be achieved within a shorter period.