Local beneficiaries to represent Pahariya community at Rashtrapati Bhavan
Bhagalpur — A couple from the Soriya Pahariya community in Bhagalpur district has been invited to the ‘Griha Satkar’ ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 15, officials said. The selection forms part of the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JGUA), a tribal welfare initiative run by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
The beneficiaries are Sanjay Pahariya, 56, and his wife Mili Devi, residents of Kutubpur village in Ramzanipur panchayat under Antichak police station of Kahalgaon block. The couple will be among those meeting President Droupadi Murmu during the Independence Day programme.
Why they were chosen
Kahalgaon block development officer Rajiv Ranjan said the nominations were made using official beneficiary lists and in line with guidelines to ensure representation from rural and tribal communities. The two were selected specifically to represent the Pahariya community and demonstrate the impact of welfare schemes at the village level.
“The selection was made through the official beneficiary lists and guidelines for community representation from rural and tribal areas,”
According to the official account, the Griha Satkar element of the DA-JGUA aims to showcase achievements in housing and other development measures, and to motivate other community members to access welfare entitlements.
Profile of the couple
The government material supplied for the nomination highlights the couple’s local work roles and community standing:
- Sanjay Pahariya: works as an accountant with a Jeevika self-help group.
- Mili Devi: works as a Jeevika worker and is socially known as Laxmi Mata.
- Both were put forward under instructions flowing from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe welfare department, Bihar, following directives from the ministry of tribal affairs.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Names | Sanjay Pahariya (56), Mili Devi |
| Community | Soriya Pahariya |
| Village / Panchayat | Kutubpur, Ramzanipur panchayat |
| Administrative area | Antichak police station, Kahalgaon block, Bhagalpur district |
| Programme | Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA-JGUA) — Griha Satkar |
Programme goals and local implications
The DA-JGUA is described as an effort to uplift tribal-majority villages by addressing deficits in health, education and infrastructure, and by integrating tribal communities into mainstream development processes. The Griha Satkar component specifically recognises beneficiaries of housing and other development schemes, as well as rural achievers, traditional artisans and those engaged in ecological conservation.
Selection of local beneficiaries for national-level ceremonies is intended to do two things: provide public recognition to rural achievers and strengthen confidence among marginalised groups that government programmes reach village levels. For Bhagalpur, the presence of a Pahariya couple at Rashtrapati Bhavan is likely to draw attention to the implementation status of tribal welfare measures in Kahalgaon block and the surrounding areas.
Block officials said the nominations followed a formal request from the state Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe welfare department under orders of the central ministry. Mili Devi is also scheduled to meet the President at the cultural centre of Rashtrapati Bhavan as part of the visit, the official account noted.
Local development officers and community workers will be watching how the recognition translates into further outreach and enrolment in entitlements for the Pahariya community in Bhagalpur. The ceremony on August 15 provides a national platform to spotlight both individuals and the broader effort to close gaps in service delivery for tribal hamlets.
