In a bid to woo tribal voters ahead of the Lok Sabha election next year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Pradhan Mantri Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) Development Mission from Ulihatu, the birthplace of tribal icon Birsa Munda in Jharkhand’s Khuti district on November 15.
On the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, Mr. Modi will launch several schemes for the tribals. He will launch a ₹24,000 crore project aimed at improving the social-economic condition of the PVTGs. He will also launch Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra along with releasing the 15th instalment of ₹18,000 crore under the PM-KISAN scheme apart from laying the foundation of projects worth ₹7,200 crore in the State.
According to government sources, there are 75 PVTGs in 18 States and Union Territories living in 22,544 villages across 220 districts having a population of around 28 lakhs.
These tribes stay in scattered, remote and inaccessible habitations, often in forest areas and hence a mission is planned to saturate PVTG families and habitations with basic facilities such as road and telecom connectivity, electricity, safe housing, clean drinking water and sanitation, improved access to education, health and nutrition and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
Mr. Modi will reach Ranchi from New Delhi at around 9 p.m. on Tuesday in his special aircraft. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and governor will welcome him. While doing a road show of nearly 10 km he will reach Raj Bhavan and will stay overnight.
In the morning of November 15, PM Modi will garland the statue of Lord Birsa Munda at Birsa Chowk in Ranchi and then leave for the airport for Khunti in his special helicopter.
This would be for the third time, Mr. Modi will be visiting Ranchi. PM Modi launched the world’s largest public health scheme Jan Arogya Yojana (Ayushman Bharat) from Ranchi in September 2018. After this, he came to Ranchi on April 23, 2019 during the Lok Sabha election.
Out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand the BJP won 11 in 2019, and its allies partner All Jharkhand Student Union won one seat.
His visit is also seen as the election strategy as Lok Sabha election is round the corner. His visit is also coinciding with the State’s foundation day. He is the first Prime Minister of India to visit Ulihatu, the birthplace of the revolutionary tribal leader Birsa Munda.
Mr. Modi, taking out time from his busy schedule amid the election in five states to launch the tribal schemes from the land of Birsa Munda, indicates to influence the voting in tribal dominated areas of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on November 17.
Last year, Mr. Modi had kicked off his Gujarat Assembly election campaign from Valsad, another tribal dominant area. His Ulihatu visit is likewise seen as an outreach programme.
Congress State president Rajesh Thakur said, “He is coming to the birthplace of Birsa Munda to repent for what the double engine government has done to the tribals for 5 years. Babulal Marandi is saying that there should not be any politics on this visit; Marandiji should ask the Prime Minister why he did not remember Birsa Munda for 9 years. There are elections in five states and his visit is only for the tribal vote bank. His visit should be named Repentance Day.”
On the other hand, the Loktantra Bachao (Save Democracy) campaign has termed his visit as an insult to the tribals. According to a press release, the visit is termed politically motivated and driven by propaganda ahead of Lok Sabha election.
