In a Diwali gift to forest-dwelling Vantangiya community people, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Wednesday laid foundation of six projects worth Rs 2.15 crore in one of their settlements, Tikonia Number 3 in Gorakhpur, declared a revenue village last month.
The Vantangiya community comprises people who were brought from Mayanmar to plant trees for afforestation during during the colonial rule. Devoid of "revenue village status", their settlements have often been deprived of developments.
A revenue village is a small administrative region - a village with defined borders. One revenue village may contain many hamlets.
Speaking on the occasion of foundation stone laying ceremony, the chief minister said, "A wave of happiness is weeping the Vantangiyas' villages after almost 100 years, as for years developmental schemes have eluded people in these villages."
"As these villages have become revenue villages now, various welfare schemes will reach there. So far, 18 Vantangiya villages in Maharajganj district, 5 in Gonda and 5 in Gorakhpur have been given the status of revenue villages," he said.
"Work is going on to give the revenue village status to Vantangiya villages in Bahraich and Lakhimpur Khiri districts too, he added.
The chief minister said a significant population resides in these villages but they are deprived of basic facilities.
In the last one year, however, the reach of government schemes to these villages have been ensured and work is going on to integrate them with mainstream of the society, he said.
Laying stress on collective celebration of festivals, Aditynath said it is our tradition that we become partner in each others' sorrow and joy.
For the past 70 years, residents of the Vantangiya villages were demanding that the villages should be made revenue villages. This has been fulfilled by the state government and they are being integrated with the mainstream of the society by giving benefits of various government schemes, he said.
The state government is working for the development of each section of the society without any bias, he added.
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