DR. A.V.S REDDY
Tele: 23381652
Fax: 23073160

SECRETARY
MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
SHASTRI BHAWAN, NEW DELHI-110001
Website: www.tribal.nic.in
E-mail: avs@nic.in

D.O. No. 17014/10/2004-S&M

1. Dear Shri,As you are aware, the Department of Drinking Water Supply is supporting the States through Centrally Sponsored Programmes, namely, the Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP), Swajaldhara and the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) for providing drinking water and sanitation facilities in the rural areas of the country. A major chunk of Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) areas falls in the rural areas and there is a need to ensure that these programmes are implemented in those tribal areas also.
   
2. With this end in view, a coordination meeting between the Department of Drinking Water Supply and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs was held on 24th June, 2004 to promote convergence of efforts for better implementation of developmental programmes relating to drinking water supply and sanitation facilities in the rural areas/ tribal population in the country. A copy of the minutes of the meeting is enclosed.
   
3. As per the decisions taken in the said meeting, we request you to kindly take the following actions to help all round development of tribal areas in the State :
   
   1. The officers of the Tribal Welfare Department at the State and District level may be advised to play a pro-active role to ensure that the poor tribal beneficiaries are also able to avail full benefits of water and sanitation programmes of the Department of Drinking Water Supply.
      
   2. It may be ensured that all new school buildings are constructed with proper toilet facilities and, in all the existing schools, the toilet facilities are provided within the next two years i.e. by 2005-06.
      
   3. The tribal Welfare functionaries should primarily focus on monitoring of the programmes and ensuring that toilet facilities are created in schools in TSP areas.
      
   4. The list of such districts where tribal population is predominant may be worked out and special efforts made by the Tribal Welfare functionaries, both at the State and district level, to ensure that benefits of Swajaldhara, ARWSP and TSC accrue to the tribal beneficiaries. For this purpose, the Secretary, Tribal Welfare Department of the State Government should actively participate in the State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM), headed by the Chief Secretary of the State and the District Tribal Welfare Officers should actively involve them selves in the District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM) at the district level.
      
   5. The Tribal Welfare functionaries and tribal opinion leaders should be included in inter and inter State visits, being supported by the Department of Drinking Water Supply, to see and learn from the good practices of water and sanitation in other areas.
      
   6. All necessary support may be extended for vocational training of tribal masons in the TSC project districts.
      
4. We shall be grateful if you could also keep up informed of the action taken in the matter.

With regards,

Yours sincerely,

(A.V.S. Reddy)

Secretaries in charge of Tribal Welfare
Departments of States/Uts (as per list attached).

Copy to Secretary (Shri V.K. Duggal), Department of Drinking water supply, Room No. 247, A-Wing, Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi- 110011 for information.

(A.V.S.Reddy)
Secretary (TA)