The Odisha government provides support of Rs 5,000 as special Covid financial support to 64,214 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
The funds were directly deposited into beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, announced the programme, saying “Covid-19 has affected the livelihoods of people from all walks of life, including PVTGs”. He stated that while the PVTGs are alone in this time of distress, the government is always with them and fighting for their welfare.
According to the CM, 314 PVTGs were affected with Covid-19, but they have all recovered. PVTGs who were affected were given a ration kit worth Rs 2,500 and compensation worth Rs 1,400 each. The state has 1,679 PVTG villages, and the government is managing the crisis by distributing masks, hand sanitizers, and soaps to the affected districts.
He stated that the government is focusing on PVTG immunization, A total of 18 ambulances have been sent to PVTG villages. To keep Covid-19 away, he asked that the tribals get vaccinated with both doses.
The Chief Minister stated that the students are confined to their homes for the past two years due to the pandemic. He urged them to concentrate on their studies. In the districts of Kalahandi and Rayagada, he spoke with some PVTG households. They informed the CM that they are fully vaccinated. He also spoke with some of the scholarship beneficiary students.
