OUR CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: Union Minister John Barla on Wednesday advocated for imparting proper training among the people for creating awareness on various welfare schemes for the minority communities.
The minister, who arrived at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh during the day, took a meeting with Buddhist monks and nuns, students' unions and NGOs on various welfare schemes for six minority communities, an official communiqué informed here. A detailed discussion on development of minorities and benefits of the schemes meant for these communities were discussed.
The Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs said that people are not aware of the welfare schemes and efforts need to taken up for more publicity on various schemes under the ministry. "We have published a booklet which will be made available for to the people for knowledge on various schemes and benefits of the ministry," he said.
Besides scholarship, he said, people could avail benefits of schemes like Sikho Kamao, financial aid for construction of community based halls, hospital, learning centers, hostels, Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram. He requested the district administration to conduct awareness programmes at village levels.
"Many states are not aware of these schemes. NGOs registered under Darpan portal can directly contact the ministry and start training centers for both men and women. There is lack of awareness for which we are conducting such awareness meeting for the first time," Barla disclosed. "I have come here to make my ministry more close to you all and shall continue to work for you," he said while handing over the information booklet to the monks and nuns.
Tawang DC Sang Phuntsok expressed his gratitude to the minister for conducting the interactive meeting coming all the way from Delhi and interacting with grass root level people. He requested the minister for flexibility in State share for central schemes and requested for a model residential school in mission mode in the district from the ministry and a branch coaching centre for proper training and guidance of young graduates of the district. The DC also highlighted the problems being faced by farmers and scopes of agriculutre and horticulture in the district.
"We should not let our people living in border areas to migrate and should find out solutions to provide them employment by encouraging skill development schemes and village tourism," the DC added. Tawang Monastery Community based students' union and representatives of NGOs submitted memorandums to the minister.
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