Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday inaugurated Special Development Councils ( SDCs) in 14 districts for the promotion of tribal art and culture taking the total of such SDCs to 23 in the state.

It will be implemented in 172 blocks of the state, involving more than 83 lakh tribal people and Rs 223 crore will be spent during the current fiscal said the Chief Minister.

The identity of all tribal groups, big and small, will be secured, he added.

These new SDCs will cover the districts of Angul, Bolangir, Balasore , Bargarh, Boudh, Debgarh, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Nayagarh and Sambalpur.

In 2017-18, the concept of SDCs was introduced and set up in nine districts involving 64 lakh tribals.

The CM said that tribal culture has a deep connection with Jagannath culture. It emphasizes the protection of nature and the environment. The chief minister said that worship of nature and brotherhood are the main basis of tribal culture. Stating that art and culture have an important role in the definition of development, he said that SDC has been formed for the preservation of their art and culture.

From politics to literature, culture, language and politics, tribal people have contributed in all fields. They have glorified Odisha’s culture. “I am proud of them,” he said.

Stating that people are interested in tribal art and culture, the CM said that the Tribal Museum of Bhubaneswar has now become an attraction for tourists.

The Chief Minister expressed the hope that more research will be done on their culture, outlook on life, conservation of nature and their medical practices.

Odisha was the only state to have introduced SDCs to protect the unique culture of tribals. Many programs have been adopted in this, such as the preservation of sacred trees of tribal people, the formation of cultural clubs, organization of cultural programs, etc. To date, more than 60,000projects have been implemented under the program.

Out of 4599 identified sacred trees, 4496 trees have been preserved. 1592 clubs have been formed. Janajat bilingual dictionary and trilingual proficiency module have been prepared in 21 languages and distributed in 30 districts. Minister of Scheduled Caste and Tribal Development Jagannath Saraka, said the SDCs create a new trend of development for tribals.

SDC Adviser Pradeep Majhi said that this initiative of the CM will be remembered and the councils will act as a bridge of communication between all tribal groups.

The Chief Minister launched a coffee table book in connection with the Special Development Council.

Chief Secretary P K Jena ,Ms Rupa Roshan Sahu secretary of the department and Secretary to CM, V K Pandian were present.  The Opposition BJP and Congress were quick to criticize the move as a ‘political stunt

’Both parties questioned how many times have the SDCs met since 2017 when nine of them were launched. They have met only once. It is nothing but a political gimmick to somehow woo tribals and rehabilitate defeated BJD leaders, charged Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati.