Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday launched Special Development Councils (SDCs) in 14 more districts to carry out tribal development, officials said.
New SDCs have been set up in Angul, Bolangir, Balasore, Bargarh, Boudh, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Nayagarh and Sambalpur districts.
Earlier, they were launched in nine districts. The aim of the SDC is to further preserve and ensure the socio-economic and cultural development of Odisha’s tribals, officials said. This will benefit about 80 thousand tribals in 172 blocks of these 14 districts, they said.
The state government will spend Rs 273 crore for the development of tribal culture, Patnaik said. “The Jagannath culture, which is Odisha’s most important contribution to the world, is closely associated with the tribal way of life in the state,” he said. Respect for nature and universal brotherhood are the foundations of tribal culture, the CM added.
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