Govt. benefits are rights, not charity: Keralam Minister

K.A. Thulasi, Keralam's Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes, declared during a recent event in Attappady that government benefits and welfare programs are constitutional rights, not acts of charity. Addressing the inauguration of projects completed by the Scheduled Tribe Development department and the Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP), Thulasi emphasized the importance of timely and transparent distribution of these schemes to beneficiaries.

Nearly 12,000 pending applications were cleared in the initial phase of a file adalat, where officials worked to resolve long-standing cases. The second phase of the adalat is scheduled to take place soon, ensuring that eligible beneficiaries receive their due benefits promptly. Thulasi pledged that the housing scheme announced in the State budget would be directly implemented by the department, providing homes for tribal families owning land, alongside a new scheme offering land and houses to landless families.

She assured the completion of the Tribal Arts Learning Centre in Attappady and announced the commencement of work on the proposed Tribal University in Wayanad, which would focus on preserving tribal languages, culture, traditional medicine, and food practices. Thulasi inaugurated a pre-metric hostel for girls at Sholayur and the Forest Rights Act (FRA) online portal, designed to protect documents issued to tribal families under the FRA and enhance inter-departmental coordination.

Community halls were also inaugurated at Kuppan hamlet in Mulli, Nanjan hamlet in Sholayur, and Mele Abbanur in Puthur. The Sholayur tribal extension office was transformed into a smart office. General Education Minister N. Shamsudheen presided over the function virtually, expressing his commitment to ongoing development and infrastructure projects in Attappady.

He highlighted how improved hostel facilities would enhance student safety and foster a superior learning environment. Additionally, the Minister launched a new official vehicle for the Tribal Development Office in Palakkad. The inauguration took place at the Cooperative Farming Society Hall in Vattalakki, Attappady.