Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday dedicated or laid foundation stones of 2,848 development projects worth Rs 1,000 crore on World Tribal Day, and said his government has been working to preserve culture, literature and tradition of adivasis.
Ahead of assembly elections due by the year-end, Baghel made several announcements for the welfare of tribals in adivasi-dominated southern (Bastar) and northern (Surguja) regions of the state.
He took part in two events to mark World Tribal Day in Bastar and Surguja districts and dedicated or laid foundation stones of 2,848 development works worth Rs 1,000 crore, officials said. The first programme was held at Jagdalpur, the headquarters of Bastar district, and the second event at Sitapur, a development block in Surguja district, they said.
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The key announcements made by the CM included setting up Bachelor of Education (BEd) and Diploma in Education (DEd) colleges in all district headquarters of the Bastar division, which comprises seven districts, and building an indoor stadium at a cost of Rs 100 crore in Jagdalpur, they said.
In Sitapur, the CM announced to set up a centre in Surguja to protect and preserve tribal traditions and culture on the lines of the Bastar Academy of Dance, Art and Literature (BADAL) that is functioning in Bastar, the officials said. Addressing the event in Sitapur, Baghel said his government has been working continuously to ensure world-wide recognition to the culture of Chhattisgarh.
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“We have been making efforts to put the identity of our state on the world platform. People should know how ancient the culture of Chhattisgarh is. Our government is continuously working to preserve our rich and prosperous culture," said the Congress leader.
“We have set up an institute named Bastar Academy of Dance, Art and Literature (BADAL) in Asana, Jagdalpur where we have been working to preserve tribal culture, literature and tradition. Various tribal communities live in the Bastar division (south Chhattisgarh)and also in the Surguja division (north Chhattisgarh). An institution on the lines of BADAL will also be set up in Surguja for the same purpose,” he added.
Baghel said in the last four-and-a-half years, his government has worked in the interest of every section of society, including tribals who constitute about 32 per cent of the state's population.
"Nobody had thought cow dung would be procured in Chhattisgarh but we did it. We took all steps to strengthen the rural economy. The Congress government hiked the price of tendu leaves (mainly used for `beedi’ or leaf cigarette manufacturing) from Rs 2,500 per sack to Rs 4,000 per sack in the interest of forest dwellers, the CM added.
