Sector Expert Consultation on Tribal Welfare

On 10th Nov 2017, the sector expert consultation on Tribal Welfare was held at Swaroop Vilas, Udaipur. A total of 39 experts working for tribal development or leading various initiative for tribal welfare in Rajasthan participated in the consultation. The discussion was divided into seven subcategories including (1) Tribal welfare Institutions (2) Local governance, Program implantation and accountability (3) Skills development and capacity building (4) Forest Rights - FRA and PESA (5) Participatory planning and Community involvement in decision making (6) Water Management (7) Infrastructure and connectivity   and others issues.

The consultation included experts from Government agencies such as the Tribal Development Department, Government of Rajasthan, Rajeevika- RGAVP, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, SRIJAN (Self Reliant Institutes through Joint Action), ARAVALI, Center for Microfinance, Tata Trusts, BAIF, Udaipur, Seva Mandir, Ajeevika Bauru, CULP etc. and some independent activists in the state of Rajasthan.

All experts contributed to a meaningful discussion on the solutions to address challenges for tribal welfare. A total of 65 interventions were listed.

Tribal Welfare Institutions 

• Mainstreaming of aganwadi (increasing the opening hours, extended the age group of children to be admitted, THR – ensuring the consumptions of nutrient and sharing the right way to consume the same, promoting community engagement, capacity building of aganwani workers) 
• Behavior change by government functionary (acceptance and openness towards society for new changes)
• Better implementation of existing scheme (through involvement of community) - ensuring entitlement and benefit of scheme 
• Better functioning and strengthening the village level institutions like Gram Panchayat, Aganwadi etc. by capacity building and training in holistic program implementation 
• Panchayati Raj Institutions – strengthening and capacity building of young people from same village to contribute back 

Local Governance, Program Implantation and Accountability  

• Accountability of system in program implementation 
• Evidence-based budgeting and resources allocation in government system  
• Budgetary provision for program implementation – Richa A (Jan chetna)
• Qualitative monitoring and outcome analysis of programs 
• Contextual schemes design and implementation (one size dosnt fit all) 
• Access to finance (as most of the program have subsidy component) including investment support system
• Underspending of budget provisions by tribal department in state    
• Awareness and promotion of existing scheme for improving transparency
• Technology-based community led to review and monitoring system of work completed with their support of civil society 
• Participatory planning in real (not in paper) 
• Common platform and mechanism for share to experiences by all development actors – integration of efforts, experiences and activities 
• Political and institutional willingness  
• Consideration of human resource cost program implementation through NGOs (a better modal and mechanism) 
• Ensuring involvement of women in decision making 
• Orientation and sensitization of government of machinery towards tribal rights 
• Involvement of community in design and implementation of shames/program
• Engagement of young energy/people (bright spot) in transformation 
• Existing schemes analysis to bridge the gap (before new programs) 

Skills Development and Capacity Building 

• Demand-based skills training to focus on relevant skills (maison, plumber or other skills)
• Community tutors for increasing the quality of  primary education 
• Last mile delivery of benefits of schemes (reaching out to village and ensure the benefit to right beneficiaries including)
• Capacity building of youth for right decision making (awareness for making better choices and deciding priorities of life) 

Forest Rights - FRA and PESA

• Brining FRA and PESA data online through MIS and ensure the usage of it in program planning and implementation – Richa A (Jan chetna)
• Robust implementation of PESA, awareness about rights ensured in act, strengthen of grass root level connectivity 
• Implementing of PESA – revisit the draft to ensure the acts is implemented at the ground 
• Resources based development in tribal area (Jungle, Jameen,..)
• Need-based development for tribal area and holistic planning process 
• NREGA Implantation in tribal context – Category B (individual work) and NRM to ensure holistic planning – strengthening and robust exercise during GPDP or have a better system for village planning – Richa A (Jan chetna)
• IEC and awareness for community rights under within PESA and FRA
• Study on central PESA and State rule – Richa A (Jan chetna)
• Study on FRA 1) institutional claims and 2) Community forest Rights (CFR) 3) forest-based livelihood and financial marketing linkages – Richa A (Jan chetna)
• Critical analysis of CAMPA act (compensatory afforestation Fund Management and planning authority bill) – Richa A (Jan chetna)
• Steps for making functional Tribal area development authority (TADA) and Tribal Research Institute (TRI) – Richa A (Jan chetna) 
• Forest rights act  - the provisions are not rightly implemented 
• Biodiversity act (and CFR) is mostly misused – the recorded knowledge should be used for betterment of tribal
• Tribal are actors of policy and having trust is a major pillar
• Minor forest products - better marketing and promotion
• Forest rights act  - the provisions are not rightly implemented 
• Biodiversity act (and CFR) is mostly misused – the recorded knowledge should be used for betterment of tribal
• Tribal are actors of policy and having trust is a major pillar
• Minor forest products - better marketing and promotion
• Common land development, grazing land and developing common resources of Panchayat (stop shrinking) 

Participatory Planning and Community Involvement in Decision Making 

• Representation of women for decision making and provide inputs in village development plan directly 
• Strengthening on value chain for livelihood 
• Improving transparency at govt schemes, sharing allocation and putting information in public domain (use of technology in information sharing)
• Traditional knowledge of tribal must be the main driving force in policy formulation 
• Empowering the Sarpanch through institutional support (including social audit)   
• Training and capacity building of Sarpanch for better program implementation and awareness of schemes 
• Community-led program implementation to ensure community participation  

Water Management 

• State water Policy – (synchronize the other sector which impacts on water usage – mining, hydroelectricity etc)  
• Ensuring better water quality (fluorides, iron in drinking water)  - 
• Focus on community-led management of water resources (physical infrastructure is a part but ownership issue should be focus) 
• Water is greater than commodity and blinding the traditional wisdom with modern solutions would ensure success 
• Water availability and water management practices (harvesting and watershed management practices)  

Infrastructure and Connectivity  

• Better network and connectivity infrastructure in remote area (including ADHAR entitlement) 

Others

• Health awareness in tribal– diabetes and sugar   
• Usage of alcohol in tribal area (higher no. licensed alcohol shop in tribal area) – additional income goes back to system due to increasing consumption- awareness generation among youth )  
• Preference of tribal and Existing resources available should be considered in micro-level planning and program implementation  
• Focus on right education and awareness generation about agricultural practices for farmers to sustain the income and better productivity 
• Animal husbandry (awareness generation to continue with traditional practices) to ensure the additional income and financial security of family

List of Participants

• Ambuj Kishore, Program Director- ARAVALI 
• Varun Sharma, Program Coordinator – ARAVALI, Jaipur 
• Suresh Kumar Sharma, Seva mandir, Udaipur
• Tej Singh, Secretary, Rachna Sansthan, Rajasamond
• Abha, Program Manager, Ajeevika Bauru
• Mamta Singh Chauhan, DPM, Gramin Mahila Vikas Sansthan
• Ms A Richa, Director, Jan Chetna Sansthan 
• Sonam Jain, Coordinator, Rajasthan Bal Kalyan Samiti
• Nitesh Kumar, SRIJAN
• Bhamwar Singh, Director Coordination, Astha Sansthan 
• Nitu Singh, Program Director, Rajasthan Bal Kalyan Samiti
• Dr Hemraj Verma, Programe Manager, Arpan Seva Sansthan
• Shradhanand Pandey, SRIJAN (Self Reliant Institutes through Joint Action)
• Laxman, FCLP, SRIJAN (Self Reliant Institutes through Joint Action) 
• Alokesh Sharma, Director, Kshamtalaya Foundation 
• Ganesh Purohit, Director, Jagran Jan Vikas samiti
• Om, Programe Manager, Jatan, Rajsamand
• Ranveer Sinhg, Deputy Director,  Jatan, Udaipur
• Dr Jagdeesh K Purohit, Program Director, SPWD
• Dr A S Jodha, Sr. Scientist and Head, V. B. K-V-K, Badganoli
• Girdhari Lal, Programe Manager, FES, 
• Sanjay Joshi, Programe Coordinator, AEFbuli
• Madan Nagula, CEO, GMKS Udaipur
• Pushkar Pundiya, CC, CHAI
• Sharad K Pareek, APM, CHAI
• Gehari Lal Joshi, Project Coordinator, Rachana Sansthan Salodha
• Pratuk Nag, Programe Assocaite, Center for Microfinance 
• O. P. Sharma, Country Director, Wells for India-India Office
• B G Rathod, Programe Manager, BAIF Udaipur
• Mukesh Purohit, Programe Officer, CMF-Tata Trust 
• Vaishali Gite, Block Project Manager, Rajeevika –RGAVP
• Abhay Pratap Singh, Sr Program Associate, CMF-Tata Trust
• Ajay Pandey, Director, PROGRESS
• Anil Vyas, Coordinator, Prayetna Samiti
• Mohamod Iqbal, Program Manager, CULP Jaipur
• Pankaj Sharma, Programe Cordinator, HVVS, Udaipur
• Dr B K Shrimali, State Consultant- PESA
• Arvind Gautam, Livlihood anchor, Center for Micro Finance 
• Suman Singh, Programe coordinator, WASCO