PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday announced a plan to regularise the houses of scheduled tribe communities located on revenue land.
Addressing an ST delegation led by Social Welfare Minister Subhash Faldesai, Sawant also said that the State has moved a fresh proposal to the Registrar General of India (RGI) for granting Dhangars or Gavali Dhangars tribal status, and the same is being followed up.
Sawant on Tuesday chaired a meeting with the Dhangar community regarding various issues related to their houses and forest rights claims. Advocate General Devidas Pangam and ex-MLA Chandrakant Kavlekar were also part of the meeting.
Speaking to media persons post-meeting, Sawant said that 90 per cent of the houses of the Dhangar community are located on revenue land and that they have been assured of regularisation. “They have been living there for the last six-seven decades. We have asked them to submit the required documents. The government is serious about granting them regularisation status,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also chaired a review meeting to streamline the Atal Asra Yojana, during which it was decided that the application process will be simplified, and pending applications will be fast-tracked for approval.
Sawant said that Atal Asra Yojana Camps will be conducted in every constituency across the state to clear the pending applications. “The payments will be released to the beneficiaries within one month of clearing the applications. Necessary directions have been issued,” he said.
Under the Atal Asra Scheme, financial assistance is provided for housing to economically weaker sections in the State.
