Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Saturday approved an additional fund of Rs 175.5 crore for nine special development councils (SDCs) in tribal-dominated districts of the state.
With the extra grant, the total fund for the SDCs has gone up to Rs 351 crore this year, a state government official said.
The additional fund will be utilised for promotion and conservation of tribal language, art, tradition and culture, he said.
The state government has formed SDCs in the districts of Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Mayurbhanj, Rayagada, Keonjhar, Kandhmal, Sundargarh and Nabarangpur for the welfare of tribals, he added.
PTI