Basic facilities for all tribal families in remote areas by 2027: CM Naidu

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced on Sunday that his administration aims to provide essential services such as healthcare, clean drinking water, and housing to every tribal family in remote areas by 2027. During a speech at the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples event in Vijayawada, Naidu detailed the government's initiatives to achieve this goal.

These include deploying feeder ambulances and mobile medical units to enhance healthcare access, establishing mobile towers for improved digital connectivity, and constructing 2,336 km of roads in tribal habitations as part of a mission mode project. The state government has allocated ₹4,764 crore for the development of 2.73 million tribal families.

Infrastructure development efforts are focused on improving employment, skill development, and livelihood opportunities through Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDAs). Projects like 'Adavi Talli Bata', which has constructed 905 km of roads at a cost of approximately ₹1,000 crore, are underway. The CM also praised the growth of Araku Coffee, highlighting the government's plans to expand coffee cultivation to an additional 100,000 acres and transform tribal regions into hubs for commercial crops like coffee, pepper, and turmeric.

Additionally, the government aims to strengthen value addition for forest produce by enhancing production, processing, and branding. Support will be provided for organic farming practices and skill training for 150,000 tribal youth to improve employment prospects. Naidu also mentioned the rejection of GO No. 3, which aimed to provide 100% jobs to local tribals in teachers' recruitments, and the government's current efforts to explore alternative mechanisms to ensure job opportunities for tribal youth.