SRINAGAR: Minister for Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana, today chaired a meeting of the Tribal Affairs Department (TAD) at the Civil Secretariat here to review the initiatives aimed at furthering empowerment of tribal communities in Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting aimed to fast-track the tribal welfare initiatives and review ongoing projects, schemes and infrastructure development for tribal communities across J&K.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo; Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Secretary TAD, Secretary Health & Medical Education, Commissioner SMC concerned Deputy Commissioners and other senior officers.

Rana emphasized Omar Abdullah led Government's commitment to inclusive growth and social justice, particularly for the tribal population.

He said that upliftment of downtrodden and backward communities is our collective responsibility. The present government has taken a slew of measures to ensure inclusive growth and social justice for all, especially the tribal population, he added.

The meeting focused on resolving land-related issues concerning the hostels for Gujjar-Bakerwal tribe, which are crucial for providing educational and residential support to the students from these marginalized groups.

Rana asked the Secretaries of concerned departments to establish effective and proactive coordination mechanism to push faster execution of key infra projects in tribal areas. He directed the concerned officials to expedite the resolution of land matters and ensure timely completion of tribal welfare projects.

Regarding establishment of hostels, the Minister was assured that the land has been identified for establishment of hostels in Srinagar, Jammu and Poonch districts and all issues will be sorted out within 10 days. He emphasized that all Gujjar-Bakerwal hostels should have proper buildings with requisite facilities to provide students with a nurturing environment.

The Minister also reviewed the progress on Tribal Bhawan Jammu and instructed the concerned authorities to immediately identify suitable land for its establishment, as the funds have already been transferred to JDA.

Reviewing the Human Resource (HR) management in TAD, the Minister stressed the need for concerted efforts to fill vacancies to ensure administrative efficiency and timely resolution of issues affecting the tribal people.

Rana also took note of deployment of Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) to tribal areas, designed to facilitate access to public healthcare, particularly for people living in remote and under-served areas.

Secretary Health informed that six MMUs are ready to be deployed and work on other units is in progress.

The Minister directed the TAD to utilize available manpower and resources judiciously, ensuring transparency, efficiency and timely execution of welfare schemes. He reaffirmed the Government's commitment to empower the tribal communities through improved access to education, healthcare and livelihood opportunities.

Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo emphasized the importance of taking forward programs and policies related to tribal welfare, ensuring their effective implementation in a time bound manner.