Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Monday, 25 May 2026, publicly backed the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA), calling it a historic initiative aimed at the comprehensive uplift, self-respect, and development of tribal communities across the state.

Context

In his post, CM Sai described DAJGUA as 'aek aitihasik pahal' — a historic initiative — launched by the Union government to bring 'new hope of development' to the tribal regions of Chhattisgarh. He stated that his government is 'continuously working to connect the Adivasi community to the mainstream of development while preserving their culture, tradition, and identity.' The post, written in Hindi, underscores the state government's alignment with the centrally sponsored programme.

Policy Backdrop

DAJGUA is a central government scheme administered through the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, designed to deliver saturation-level coverage of infrastructure, livelihood support, and cultural preservation in tribal villages. It follows a line of Union-government-led area-based programmes for Scheduled Tribe districts, including the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana launched in 2014 and the PM JANMAN scheme announced in 2023, which specifically targeted Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group habitations.

Chhattisgarh has a Scheduled Tribe population of roughly 30 percent, making it one of the priority states for such programmes alongside Jharkhand and Odisha. The constitutional framework of the Fifth Schedule and the Forest Rights Act, 2006 provides the legal backdrop for governance and land rights in these areas. The broader policy approach since 2014 has sought to combine an infrastructure push with explicit emphasis on preserving tribal cultural identity.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of DAJGUA are tribal villagers and Adivasi communities living in the forested and resource-rich but historically underdeveloped blocks of Chhattisgarh. The scheme's stated focus on 'culture, tradition, and identity' alongside material development addresses longstanding concerns within tribal advocacy circles about mainstreaming efforts eroding indigenous ways of life.

CM Sai, a BJP leader who assumed office as Chief Minister in December 2023, has positioned the state government as an active partner in the Union government's tribal welfare agenda. His public endorsement signals continued political priority for DAJGUA in the state's administrative calendar.

What's Next

Observers will watch for district-level rollout timelines and fund utilisation reports for DAJGUA villages in Chhattisgarh as the 2026-27 budget cycle progresses. Any state assembly scrutiny or central monitoring committee reviews of the scheme's on-ground implementation will provide a clearer picture of its reach and effectiveness. The scheme's trajectory in Chhattisgarh is likely to serve as a benchmark for similar tribal-majority states receiving parallel central support.