Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who also holds the portfolio for Tribal Welfare, recently conducted a comprehensive review of the Directorate of Tribal Welfare in Panaji, Goa. The meeting, attended by key officials including Vikas Gaunekar (Additional Secretary of Finance), Dasharath Redkar (Director of Tribal Welfare), and Dr. Pratibha LS (OSD to the Chief Minister), addressed the implementation of both centrally sponsored and state-supported welfare schemes for tribal communities.

Key outcomes of the meeting included the decision to streamline payments for six schemes through the Aadhaar bridge payment system starting in November. Additionally, applications for specific welfare programs, such as the Antya Sankar Sahay Yojana and support schemes for widows’ children and orphans, will now be accepted online, reducing the need for applicants to travel to district headquarters. Issues related to the Vidya Laxmi scholarship schemes were also discussed, with proposed solutions to make processes more efficient for beneficiaries.