Dharamsala, July 9 – In its first-ever consolidated three-year plan, the Tibetan government-in-exile has expressed concern over the growing exodus of educated skilled youth from the Tibetan settlements in India and the need for better management of international aid. The mammoth task of chalking out details of various projects was handed over to the Planning Department, which ensured that the plans of each of the seven departments are included in the first Tibetan Master Plan for 2004-07.
Sources here told The Tribune today that the Home Department had expressed a need for taking effective steps to improve the infrastructure in the 11 key settlements in India, including Mcleodganj, so that the youth passing out of schools and colleges are retained there. Creation of more employment opportunities to stop this brain drain tops the agenda, which was presented to the Prime Minister by the secretaries of the departments at a day-long closed-door meeting held yesterday.
Another key area of concern is the condition of the Tibetan co-operatives, such as those dealing in handicraft and carpet-weaving and selling agricultural products. According to the plan, the government-in-exile would now take steps to give more independence to these co-operatives so that they could work for the uplift of the small-time workers in the settlements, said sources.
“Till now, each of the seven departments used to prepare its own annual plan, which was presented to Parliament. However, there was large-scale overlapping in the various projects. This is why this year the Planning Department was assigned the task of preparing one comprehensive plan by co-ordinating the inputs given by each department so that the resources are used effectively. Once the plan is formally accepted by the Prime Minister, every department will function accordingly,” said an official of the Central Tibetan Administration.
The plan, sources said also highlighted the condition of poor Tibetans in the settlements, adding that it was not improving and steps should be taken improve their living standards by involving the co-operatives and creating more employment.
The outdated methods of farming and the practice of relying heavily on the use of fertilisers are the other key areas of concern. It has been proposed that the Tibetan farmers be made aware of organic farming so that the original contents of the soil are retained. The methods of farming will be studied to help the farmers increase their yield.
The plan also includes new ways to spread the middle-path approach of the Dalai Lama to resolve the Tibet issue with China through negotiations and discussions.
