Thangam Thennarasu. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Tamil Nadu Government has planned to formulate a Tribal Livelihood Policy to ensure easy access to various welfare measures for members of tribal communities and to preserve and leverage their traditional knowledge in biodiversity conservation.

There are 37 tribal communities having distinct cultural identities residing on the hilly areas of western and eastern ghats. Some of the members of tribal communities are also living in plains and involved in various livelihood activities. To ensure easy access for them to various welfare schemes of the government, the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department has planned to formulate a Tribal Livelihood Policy.

Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, while presenting the Budget 2025-26 last week, announced the policy will also focus on implementing area-specific special schemes. Bargur and Kadambur hills in Erode district and Kalvarayan hills in Kallakurichi district have been chosen for implementing special schemes in the first phase. The State Government has allocated ₹10 crore for this initiative.

Further, under the State Government’s flagship Annal Ambedkar Business Champions Scheme, a total of 2,386 new and existing entrepreneurs belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and the Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities have availed themselves of ₹259 crore in capital subsidy for loans taken by them to start or promote their businesses, since the inception of the scheme.

Under this scheme a 35% capital subsidy on the eligible project cost not exceeding ₹1.5 crore, and a 6% interest subvention for loans not exceeding 10 years, are being provided. The government allocated ₹ 170 crore for this initiative for 2025-26.

To further promote entrepreneurship, the government also enhanced the allocation from ₹50 crore to ₹75 crore for the Chief Minister’s Adi Dravidar and Tribal Socio-Economic Development Scheme’ (CM-ARISE).The financial allocation for the department was also increased from ₹3706.04 in 2024-25 to ₹3,924 crore in 2025-26.