Thane, Oct 6 (UNI) Chairman of the Committee on the Status of the Tribal Schemes in Maharashtra and former MLA Vivek Pandit on Tuesday called for strengthening the Tribal Research and Training Institute (TRTI), which plays a vital role in the policy decisions in the state and at the Centre.

While talking to the media here after a virtual review of the work being done by TRTI, he said that the research being done by the Institute will go a long way in supporting the policy decisions and programmes of the government, both in the state and at the Centre, and hence it needs to be strengthened.

He further said that TRTI being an autonomous body can get funds from various sources, including the government and from agencies and even under the corporate social responsibility programme to carry out the survey and research.

Mr Pandit also said that the Institute needs to be sufficiently staffed and provided all the support so that it can carry out the work and surveys in a professional manner, as the decisions of the government on various schemes for the tribals rests on these reports, he said.

He expressed his displeasure over the survey of the scheduled caste and tribes' families in the state not being carried out for several years and said as a result of which, they were either deprived or there was a delay in getting the benefits to them.

Because of which the government cannot take any firm decisions on them, he said while calling for change in the view of the government towards this Institute.

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