Prez Murmu urges Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups to become financially independent

Valsad, Feb 13 (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday urged members of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in Gujarat to educate themselves and their children, and develop skills to become financially self-reliant instead of depending on government welfare schemes.

Addressing a group of PVTGs at Dharampur in south Gujarat district of Valsad after an interaction, she said the PM-JANMAN scheme, which aims to improve the socio-economic conditions of the PVTGs, is expected to meet its target much before the deadline of three years.

"You should become self-reliant and provide good education to your children. You should thank the government for whatever it is providing, but you should try on your own to become self-reliant. You should think in the direction of developing skills to become financially strong," Murmu said.

The PVTG community should send their children to school, educate themselves and make progress in life. They should make efforts instead of waiting for the government benefits, and try to get information about the government schemes, she said.

There are more than 700 tribal groups in India, out of which 75 are PVTGs - the most backward. We call tribals backward, but the PVTGs are the most backward among them, Murmu said.

Gujarat is counted among the progressive states in India, she said, adding that there were many states in the country where not a single PVTG received any government benefit.

"But Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided that while India is moving towards becoming the 'Vishwa Guru' (world's mentor), the government provides them with schemes which are not reaching them. It was with the idea to saturate the PVTGs with government schemes within three years that the PM-JANMAN was launched," the president said.

"There should be awareness among them (PVTGs) regarding the government schemes. Not a single person should be left behind and remain deprived of the government schemes," she said, explaining the idea behind the PM-JANMAN.

As against the target of three years, a lot of work has been done in three months alone, and the community will be saturated within one year, she said. PTI KA PD NP