12 hours Ago By KP Saikiran
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Soon after halving nine scholarships for minority community students, Kerala's govt has slashed funding for 27 out of 49 tribal welfare schemes , all in the name of its financial crisis. Kerala is home to 1.5 lakh tribal families and at least a fourth of them depend on these programmes for housing, education, self-employment and social security.
Many crucial initiatives were either dropped altogether or their funds drastically reduced in line with govt's decision to halve the Plan size, raising serious concerns about its commitment to social justice and equity . Videos 58:58 President Droupadi Murmu's Mega Address To Joint Parliament Session | Budget 2025 9 hours ago 01:13 Budget Session 2025: FM Nirmala Sitharaman Tables Economic Survey | Watch 10 hours ago 12:02 Budget Session 2025: PM Narendra Modi Takes A Dig At ‘Shararati’ Opposition 10 hours ago 03:21 'Don't Give Me Gyaan': Blistering Faceoff Between Akhilesh Yadav & Anurag Thakur In Lok Sabha 185 days ago 06:57 Rahul Gandhi Vs Om Birla: Five Big Moments Of Fiery Faceoff & Jibes | Watch 185 days ago 07:25 'Adani-Ambani..
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Tribal melas, vital for artisans to showcase their products, also lost substantial financial backing. Funds for "oorukkoottams", tribal assemblies that finalise welfare programmes, were reduced from Rs 2.5 crore to Rs 1 crore, limiting their ability to function effectively.
Among programmes scaled down the food support programme for tribal families, many of them fighting malnutrition, saw its funds reduced to Rs 20 crore from Rs 25 crore. Meanwhile, govt has claimed that the housing scheme for tribals under Life Mission remains untouched, with Rs 140 crore allocated this year, but only 25% of the overall allocation has been spent so far. If this trend continues, the earmarked funds may remain largely unutilised.
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