Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced incentives like permanent houses, ration card, voter card and Aadhaar Card for nomadic people to bring the Vimukt, Ghumantu, Ardh-Ghumantu and Tapriwas Jati people into the mainstream.
Making the announcement at the 66th state-level ‘Vimukti Diwas’ programme here, Khattar said a post of ‘Antodaya Officer’ would be created in all tehsils to ensure benefits of various welfare schemes and programmes reached them.
On the basis of the census survey in Haryana, which is to be conducted from October to December, a caste-based survey would also be conducted for social, economic, educational development of all castes, including the nomads, he said.
Apart from this, roads and chowks would be named after dignitaries belonging to nomads if proposals are sent to the department concerned through Vimukt Ghumantu Jati Vikas Board, the chief minister said.
Khattar said all 9,920 nomadic families would be given the facility of permanent housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. For this, maximum amount would be paid by the state government and the beneficiaries would have to pay very little, that too, in monthly instalments, he said.
“The Haryana housing board has launched a scheme to construct 30,000 houses in the next two years. Such nomadic families which have an annual income less than Rs 1 lakh, would be eligible to take benefit of the scheme,” he said.
Steps would be taken to implement the Centre for Research in Industrial and Rural Development report for bringing Gadia Lohar, Shorgar and Singikar, already included in the list of backward classes, in the Scheduled Castes category.
Khattar said special camps would be organised in the areas inhabited by nomadic people to give them the facility of voter cards, Aadhaar cards and ration cards so that they could avail themselves free gas connection.
He also announced construction of permanent hostels for the students belonging to nomads in Jind, Hisar, Karnal and Fatehabad districts and said they would be provided 25 per cent reservation in other hostels meant for Scheduled Castes and Backwad Classes to enable them to get higher studies while being lodged in hostel.
Khattar said the state government had constituted the Vimukt Ghumantu Jati Vikas Board. Later, an advisory committee was set up to provide permanent settlement to the shelter-less nomadic people. It has already submitted its report. Many recommendations require constitutional amendment which can be done by the Centre, he said.