Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda on Thursday visited Bandipora district in north Kashmir under the ongoing Public Outreach Programme of the Central Government. The Minister inaugurated several developmental projects and interacted with several public delegations, members of Panchayat Raj Institutions and political parties besides interacting with youth especially sports persons. He told that government has launched many welfare schemes that will change the socio-economic condition of the tribal population with special focus on skill development and employment generation. He said, his Ministry has recently approved a project for Tribal Transit Accommodation at eight locations to be constructed at an estimated cost of 28 crore rupees. <br />''<br />''He said, the Department of Tribal Affairs is taking steps for effective implementation of The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Rights) Act, 2006. He said, the District-Level and Sub-Divisional Level Committees have been constituted while the Tribal Affairs Department is also working on developing community facilities under the community rights, including health care facilities and Anganwadi Centres.<br />''<br />''While talking about Tribal Health Plan, he said, the Tribal Affairs Department in coordination with National Health Mission and Department of Health and Family Welfare has rolled out a special Tribal Health Plan for the first time. An amount of 15 crore rupees has been earmarked for the year 2021-22 which will include establishment of Tribal Sub-Centres, mobile medical care units for migratory population, machinery and equipment, capacity building and emergency response system.<br />''<br />''Mr Munda said, the UT Administration is shortly scheduled to roll out an ambitious scheme for establishment of 1,500 Mini Sheep Farms at a cost of 1,500 lakh rupees during the current financial year which will provide employment to 3,000 tribal youths.   He said, the department recently authorized work on 16 Milk Villages at an estimated cost of 1,600 lakh rupees which will provide employment to around 2,000 people and establish a network of dairy farms in J&K.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #000000;">Union Minister said government recently constituted a Working Group for establishment of Tribal Research Institute, TRI headed by Secretary Tribal Affairs Department to take key steps for establishment of TRI museums, cultural centres and also putting in place an administrative framework which will go a long way in preserving the tribal art, culture, tradition, languages, literature and their promotion. TRI is also in process for organising a number of programmes and rolling out tribal fellowship programme.</span><br />