Madhya Pradesh Panels For Tribal Welfare, Eco-Conservation Hit Funds Wall

Eco-Development Committees were established to involve local communities, particularly tribals, in wildlife conservation and eco-development initiatives.

In Madhya Pradesh, where the government highlights successes in tribal upliftment and eco-conservation, there has also been an oversight in a key area. An NDTV investigation has revealed that for the past three years, Eco-Development Committees (EDCs) in several tiger reserves and national parks have been deprived of essential budget allocations, causing critical development projects to come to a standstill.

These committees were established to involve local communities, particularly tribals, in wildlife conservation and eco-development initiatives. By doing so, the government intended to serve the interests of eco-conservation as well as the communities through one initiative.

Madhya Pradesh has the highest forest cover in the country - over 25% of the state is covered in forests, which represents 12.38% of the nation's total forest area. Tribals have played a key role in maintaining the forests and they were supposed to get a share of profits from tourism in tiger reserves and natural parks, which have not been given for years.