Maharashtra launches special drive for nomadic tribes rights, camps from Sept 27 to 29

The Maharashtra government has launched a special campaign for nomadic and denotified tribes to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modis birthday. Under the Rashtraneta to Rashtrapita campaign, a Nomadic and Denotified Tribes Rights and Certificate Campaign will be run across the state over three days, September 27, 28 and 29. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the details on his Twitter account.

Under the campaign, people from nomadic and denotified tribes will be provided various government documents including Aadhaar cards, voter identity cards, caste certificates, income certificates, non-creamy layer certificates, and residence and domicile certificates. Since obtaining these documents usually means visiting several different offices, the campaign aims to make them all available at a single camp. Officials from the relevant departments will also be present at the camps to ensure the benefits of various welfare schemes reach these communities. People from nomadic and denotified tribes have been urged to make the most of this opportunity.

The camps will be organised by the Department for Other Backward Classes and Minority Welfare at the mandal and taluka level, so that villagers do not need to travel to the district headquarters. According to the government order, since nomadic and denotified tribes lead an itinerant lifestyle, the underlying purpose of the campaign is to effectively deliver documents linked to government schemes and basic rights to them. The order also notes that this community's population in the state is significant, and that their mobile way of life makes it necessary to actively take schemes to them.

Before each camp begins, a list of beneficiaries will be prepared at the settlement level and their required documents completed in advance, so that documents do not need to be prepared on the spot on the day of the camp. During the campaign, emphasis will be placed on the immediate distribution of certificates to eligible beneficiaries. The camps will be attended by the relevant sub-divisional officers, block development officers, tehsildars, chief officers, health department officials, and other competent officers at the district and taluka level.

In each district, the campaign will be inaugurated by the local guardian minister, and local members of parliament, legislators and other elected representatives will also be involved. District collectors will coordinate to ensure effective implementation of the campaign. The venue and timing of the camps will be announced by the respective district and taluka administrations, so nomadic and denotified tribes are advised to check with their district or taluka administration for details.

The government has clarified that the core objective of the campaign is to secure justice and rights for nomadic and denotified tribes by providing them with government documents. Lack of documents such as Aadhaar cards, voter identity cards, caste certificates, income certificates, non-creamy layer certificates and residence certificates often prevents people from these communities from accessing government schemes, and this special campaign has been launched to address that problem.