Over 3,000 villages bring Assam into priority zone under Tribal Affairs Mission

In a bid to accelerate the Centre’s flagship programme Adi Karmyogi Abhiyan, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Debolina Thakur, visited Simila village under the 33 No. Pub Bekeli Gaon Panchayat in Boko on Thursday to assess the progress of ongoing initiatives.

Highlighting Assam’s pivotal role in the mission, Thakur said the state has the highest number of tribal-dominated villages under the scheme—more than 3,000—placing it ahead of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh in terms of priority.

“The Adi Karmyogi Abhiyan is a holistic initiative designed to address the challenges faced by tribal villages through direct interaction. Departmental officials are mapping identified issues with suitable government schemes to ensure timely and practical solutions,” Thakur stated.

Emphasising timely planning and implementation, the Joint Secretary directed that action plans prepared for Assam’s villages must be submitted to the Ministry by October 25, 2025. Approvals and fund releases are expected to follow shortly, expediting the development process at the grassroots.

During her field visit, Thakur also inspected several tribal villages under Boko Development Block and Bongao Development Block, engaging with local residents to understand ground-level concerns.

The review programme was attended by senior officials, including Dhanjit Dutta, Additional CEO of Kamrup Zilla Parishad; Krishnanesha Bora, District Officer of Adi Karmyogi Abhiyan, Kamrup; and Rajiv Das, BDO of Boko.

The ITDP's (Integrated Tribal Development Project) Chairman, Kamrup District Mohan Boro said that the mission covers 128 tribal villages in Kamrup district and 85 villages under Boko - Chaygaon constituency.

Officials noted that the scheme has already begun identifying challenges related to health, education, infrastructure and livelihoods in tribal villages. By aligning these issues with targeted schemes, the initiative is set to deliver substantial developmental changes across Assam’s rural tribal belt, in line with the Centre’s vision of inclusive growth and empowerment of tribal communities.