Gujarat introduces administrative reforms for primitive tribal communities

The Gujarat government has strengthened its administrative framework for the development of primitive tribal communities, particularly Padhar and Siddi families living outside the State’s traditional tribal areas, according to agency reports.
Under the Mukhyamantri Adimjuth Sarvangi Utkarsh Yojana, effective from the financial year 2026-27, Class-I officers of the Tribal Development Department have been appointed as Member Secretaries of district-level committees in Ahmedabad, Surendranagar, Gir Somnath and Junagadh. The move is aimed at ensuring faster, more transparent and people-oriented implementation of development schemes.
The need for the restructuring arose as these four districts do not have dedicated Project Administrator offices for tribal development. Earlier, tribal development work in these areas was handled by Deputy District Development Officers of the District Panchayats along with their other responsibilities. The new arrangement provides dedicated administrative oversight for the Padhar and Siddi communities.The creation of Gir Somnath district from the erstwhile Junagadh district also necessitated changes in the administrative framework. Siddi community families are now located across both Gir Somnath and Junagadh, prompting the government to establish separate district-level oversight for effective local planning and implementation.
Under the new arrangement, the Assistant Commissioner (Class-I), Tribal Development, Ahmedabad will serve as Member Secretary for Ahmedabad and Surendranagar, while the Assistant Commissioner (Class-I), Tribal Development, Rajkot will oversee Gir Somnath and Junagadh.
Class-I officers will be responsible for administrative approvals, monitoring and reporting of projects, while local Class-II offices at Bagodara and Talala will undertake field-level planning, technical approvals, site inspections and verification.The reform is expected to strengthen coordination in implementing schemes related to education, housing, healthcare, employment and economic empowerment, ensuring more timely delivery of government benefits to Padhar and Siddi families residing in scattered settlements across non-tribal regions.

(State Correspondent)