Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar/Mumbai, 8 May 2025

 

The Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar, visited Tisgaon Tanda village in Taluka Khultabad, District Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra, today (May 8, 2025) to review ongoing development and welfare activities targeted at De-notified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Communities (DNTs). The visit focused on assessing the implementation of the SEED (Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs) programme, alongside various State Government-led initiatives.

Addressing the gathering, Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar emphasized the Government of India's commitment to the upliftment of DNT communities—among the most marginalized and socio-economically disadvantaged groups in the country. The Union Minister highlighted that the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) has established the Development and Welfare Board for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities (DWBDNC) to ensure the focused implementation of welfare and development schemes for these communities.

During the visit, Dr. Virendra Kumar interacted directly with a wide range of stakeholders, including State Government officials, NGO partners involved in SEED implementation, DNT beneficiaries and students, Self Help Group (SHG) members, and local community leaders. These interactions provided important ground-level feedback and insights into the effectiveness and impact of the programmes.

During the visit, a range of entitlements and benefits were distributed to eligible members of the DNT communities, including:

• Ayushman Bharat Health Insurance Cards, ensuring access to quality healthcare services,
• Kamgar Kalyan Smart Cards, facilitating access to welfare benefits for unorganized workers,
• Caste Certificates, essential for availing reservations and affirmative action schemes,
• Revolving Funds to Self-Help Groups, supporting income-generating activities,
• Entry Point Activities aimed at confidence building and group cohesion among newly formed SHGs.

The SEED scheme targets families with an annual income of ₹2.50 lakh or less, who are not availing benefits from similar schemes of the central or state governments. The scheme includes four key components for the welfare of the DNT communities:

• Providing quality coaching to DNT candidates for competitive examinations,
• Providing health insurance to DNT communities,
• Promoting livelihood initiatives at the community level for small groups within DNT/NT/SNT communities,
• Providing financial assistance to DNT individuals for constructing houses.

This visit reaffirmed the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment’s dedication to ensuring inclusive development and effective delivery of welfare measures for DNT communities at the grassroots level.

 

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PIB Mumbai | SC/ DR

 

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(Release ID: 2127743)