Bhubaneswar, May 15: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday announced to create fourteen more Special Development Councils (SDC) for the conservation and promotion of art, culture and literature of tribals and to protect their identity.
The Chief Minister said new SDC would be formed in Anugul, Bolangir, Balasore, Baragarha, Boudh, Deogarha, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Nayagarha and Sambalpur districts.
With this the number of SDC which was formed in 2017-18 with an objective to protect and conserve the tribal art and culture went up to 23.
Earlier the SDC was functioning in 117 blocks of nine districts.
With the announcement of 14 more SDC it would now be implemented in 172 blocks of 23 districts.
The state government will spend Rs 223 crore during 2023-24 financial year for the purpose.
The Chief Minister said over 80 lakh tribals will join the programme and work for the development of their art and culture.
Patnaik said there is a close relationship between the Jagannath culture and Tribal culture.
Importance is given on the conservation of nature and environment in both cultures. Nature worship and brotherhood is the main basis of tribal culture, he said.
The Chief Minister said tribal people have great contribution in all sectors including politics, literature,culture and language. Stating that they have enriched culture of Odisha , Patnaik said he is proud of them.
Patnaik said the tribal museum at Bhubaneswar has become a tourist attraction and hoped more research would be conducted on their culture, on their attitude to life, conservation of nature and their system of treatment.
Since the formation of SDC in 2017 many steps including protection and conservation of their holy trees, constitution of culture clubs have been taken up and cultural events have been organised.
So far more than 60,000 projects have been implemented under this programme, 4496 out of 4599 holy trees identified protected, 1592 clubs formed.
In addition to it tribal bilingual dictionary and trilingual proficiency module has been prepared in 21 languages and distributed in 30 districts.
