Welfare benefits are constitutional rights, not charity: Kerala Minister

Kerala's Minister for the Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, K.A. Thulasi, has said that the benefits delivered through government development and welfare schemes are constitutional rights rather than acts of charity. She was speaking at a function in Attappady, where she inaugurated projects completed by the Scheduled Tribe Development department and the Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP).

The Minister stressed that schemes must reach beneficiaries in a timely and transparent manner. Nearly 12,000 pending applications were resolved in the first phase of a file adalat, held by deploying officials to clear long-pending cases, she said, adding that a second phase would be conducted soon. Applications would be examined properly and eligible benefits extended without delay.

On housing, Ms. Thulasi said the department would directly implement the scheme announced in the State budget. Houses would be built for tribal families who own land, while a new scheme would provide both land and houses to landless families.

The Minister said the Tribal Arts Learning Centre in Attappady would be completed on time, and that initial work had begun on the proposed Tribal University in Wayanad. The university is envisaged to offer courses that preserve tribal languages, culture, traditional medicine and food practices.

At the event, she inaugurated a newly built pre-metric hostel for girls at Sholayur and an online portal under the Forest Rights Act (FRA). The portal is intended to help protect documents issued to tribal families under the FRA and improve coordination between departments. She also inaugurated community halls at Kuppan hamlet in Mulli, Nanjan hamlet in Sholayur and Mele Abbanur in Puthur, and the Sholayur tribal extension office was converted into a smart office.

Minister for General Education N. Shamsudheen, who presided over the function virtually, said development and infrastructure projects would continue in Attappady. Improved hostel facilities, he said, would help ensure student safety and provide a better learning environment. He also flagged off a new official vehicle for the Tribal Development Office at Palakkad.

The function was held at the Cooperative Farming Society Hall at Vattalakki in Attappady.