Vidarbha hosts over 40% of Maharashtra's vulnerable tribes

Nagpur: Vidarbha accounts for more than 40% of Maharashtra's Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), with five districts—Gadchiroli, Yavatmal, Chandrapur, Wardha, and Amravati—together housing 2.74 lakh of the state's 6.68 lakh PVTG population. These findings are part of a survey conducted under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) Yojana, a central scheme aimed at improving the socio-economic status of PVTGs by bridging gaps in health, education, and livelihoods.
Out of the 75 PVTGs recognized by the central government, Maharashtra primarily recognizes three groups—Kolam, Katkari, and Maria Gond in the region. The Kolam community is predominantly found in Vidarbha, particularly in areas like Pandharkawada and Gadchiroli, near the Telangana border. There are linguistic similarities between the Telugu and Kolami languages spoken by the tribals, attributed to their migration from Telangana to Vidarbha, according to an official who worked on the Janman project in Kinwat.
According to official data, Raigad district has the highest PVTG population in Maharashtra, with 1.87 lakh individuals dispersed across 1,000 habitations, while Gadchiroli ranks second with 1.34 lakh PVTGs across 560 habitations. Yavatmal follows closely with 1.24 lakh members in 700 habitations. Chandrapur has 7,995 members in 68 habitations, while Wardha and Amravati report 7,337 and 334 individuals, respectively.
In Vidarbha, particularly the Nagpur division, a key initiative under the PM JANMAN scheme is the Gharkul project, which focuses on providing permanent housing and road infrastructure for PVTG communities. Under this scheme, tribals receive ₹2 lakh each for the construction of permanent houses. In the Nagpur division, beneficiaries have received the first two of the four installments. In Chandrapur, 719 PVTG households still live in kuccha houses, with only 317 houses sanctioned and just two completed. Gadchiroli saw 6,526 houses sanctioned, exceeding the identified need of 6,464, yet only 69 have been completed. In Wardha, 693 PVTG households require housing, but only 532 have been sanctioned, with just 11 completed. Road connectivity also remains a challenge, particularly in Gadchiroli and Chandrapur, where 78 PVTG habitations still lack proper roads.