Kohima, Oct 13
Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram on Sunday held a meeting with Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and discussed various developmental works and the central government's projects and schemes, now being under implementation in the northeastern state.
A senior Nagaland government official said that the Union Minister during the meeting with the Chief Minister also discussed the funds utilisation of the Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) and National ST Finance Corporation.
Oram earlier arrived in Dimapur on a three-day visit to Nagaland and then held the meeting with the Chief Minister at the latter's private residence in Sovima, an Angami Naga-dominated village located in Chmoukedima District.
The Union Tribal Affairs Minister said that he and the Chief Minister emphasised on effective implementation of the EMRS for the successful and result-oriented education of the tribal students.
Oram is scheduled to visit the Zunheboto district on Monday, where he will have a meeting with the district administration and other departmental officers to review various central government schemes being implemented in the district.
On Tuesday, the Tribal Affairs Minister will attend the inauguration programme of the new Community hall at Indisen village in Dimapur.
The Union Minister soon after his arrival offered Puja to Durga idols in Dimapur.
The official said that the Centre has so far sanctioned 145 EMRS in eight northeastern states - Arunachal Pradesh (10), Assam (15), Manipur (21), Meghalaya (35), Mizoram (17), Nagaland (22), Sikkim (4) and Tripura (21).
Of the total of 145 sanctioned EMRS, only 28 such residential educational institutions are now functioning.
According to an official document, though 35 EMRS were sanctioned for Meghalaya, not a single such institution is functional now in the tribal-dominated state.
Under the new scheme of EMRS, the Tribal Affairs Ministry releases funds to the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), the autonomous society created in the year 2019 under the Ministry to manage and implement the scheme of EMRS.
Of the 45.48 million population (2011 census) in the eight northeastern states, 27.29 per cent are tribals.