PANAJI
Nadnem, a village in Sanguem's Neturlim panchayat, has emerged as the only one in Goa to have achieved a significant development milestone -- 100 per cent implementation of Dharti Abha Janajatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, a central scheme meant to achieve comprehensive overall development of tribal villages filling all gaps in infrastructure, health, education and livelihoods.
Under it, the Centre brings together multiple schemes in different sectors for co-ordinated development of tribal areas and the community living there.
In Goa, this campaign covers 25 villages having a sizeable resident tribal population. Three of these are in North Goa district and the ballance 22, including Nadnem, are in the Sought.
Nadnem village which lies in the jurisdiction of Neturlim panchayat is the one from these 25 with the least tribal population, one reason officials attributed for the 100 per-cent success of the programme.
It has 114 tribal households and an aggregate tribal population of approximately 500 persons, all of whom have benefited from the scheme.
Another village in the same Neturlim panchayat -- Verlem village -- has recorded 81 per cent implementation with 460 of its 568 tribal people having got benefits.
Khola village in neighbouring Canacona taluka has the largest tribal population with 2,977 of its 5382 population being tribals. Here, the programme has reached a coverage of just 55.3 per cent.
The campaign has reached 52.3 per cent in Siridao-Pali village of Tiswadi, 56.2 per cent in Honda-Sattari, 67.2 per cent in Bhirondem, 58.4 per cent in Keri-Ponda, 50.2 per cent in Quelossim of Mormugao, 71.17 per cent in Rachol, 80.9 per cent in Kavrem, 56.5 per cent in Dharbandora and 87.4 per cent in Cotigao.
As per the 2011 census, the tribal population of these 25 villages is 47,117 and in total the benefits of the scheme have reached about 36,926 of them.
