Amaravati: In sync with the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples being observed under the aegis of the United Nations on Saturday, spotlighting this year’s theme “Indigenous Peoples and AI: Defending Rights, Shaping Futures”; the new coalition government in Andhra Pradesh has opened a new chapter for tribal welfare, including a slew of developmental projects and initiatives. In this context, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu is set to visit Paderu on Saturday.

The state government is organising a major event in the Alluri Sitharama Raju district to commemorate it.

The Chief Minister will begin his sojourn by visiting the Modakondamma temple, after which he will participate in local tribal traditional ceremonies. He will also visit the homes of some tribals to better understand their lives and challenges firsthand.

Following this, he will hold discussions with coffee plantation growers and participate in a public meeting at Lagisapalle. Thereafter, the Chief Minister will lay the foundation stone for many a development projects and oversee the signing of MoUs for launch of tribal area projects. He is also scheduled to interact with party members. The state government is accelerating road construction projects to connect remote tribal areas with major hubs. Over the next five years, the state will spend Rs 2,404 crore to connect more than 2,075 tribal villages and habitations with new roads and bridges. A road corridor project in the Alluri Sitharama Raju district alone will cost Rs 41 crore.

As for healthcare, the state government has allocated Rs 50 crore each for the construction of multi-specialty hospitals in Sitampeta, Parvathipuram, Rampachodavaram, KR Puram, and Srisailam ITDA areas.

The Community Health Centre in ITDA Chintoor is being upgraded from a 50-bed to a 100-bed facility. The construction of a medical college in Paderu is also progressing rapidly.

Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the government has initiated projects worth Rs 2,373 crore to supply drinking water to 13,816 habitations in tribal areas. The goal is to complete these works by 2026.

To enhance employment opportunities, study circles have been established in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Tirupati to help tribal youth prepare for competitive exams like the DSC. The government is also spending Rs 150 crore to convert over 520 residential school buildings into hostels.

The coalition government has prioritised tribal welfare, allocating Rs 7,557 crore under the Scheduled Tribe Component for the fiscal year of 2024-25. It has so far provided 200 units of free electricity per month to 4.82 lakh tribal families and is working on a plan to install solar rooftop panels.

Currently, the government spends Rs 1,595 crore annually on NTR Bharosa pensions for 3,77,051 tribal beneficiaries. Additionally, it has deposited Rs 642 crore into the accounts of mothers of 4,86,803 tribal students under the Thalliki Vandanam scheme.

The government launched ‘Mission-2047’ to eradicate sickle cell anemia, providing a pension of Rs 10,000 per month to 1,487 identified patients. Efforts are underway to boost tribal farmers’ income through natural farming and encourage the cultivation of alternative crops to replace cannabis cultivation.