Metro India News | Hyderabad 

A group of 32 local youth, mainly from the Chenchu community with a strong bond to the forest, were trained as nature guides at The Naturalist School in Bengaluru. With Rs.15 lakh support from the Governor for Nagarkurnool district, the programme was taken up to help these youth find jobs while giving tourists a real taste of the Nallamala forest’s culture and biodiversity.

The Governor Jishnu Dev Varma highlighted the cultural importance of tribal communities, calling them the original guardians of nature. He reiterated the commitment to improving their lives through focused development programs. The Governor also flagged off vehicles carrying machinery for making eco-friendly leaf plates and cups to tribal villages funded from the Governor's Discretionary Grants at Raj Bhavan on Saturday.

Aimed at supporting the livelihood of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PvTGs). After the flag-off, the Governor interacted with young members of PvTG communities, including those undergoing training as nature guides and in leaf plate production.

Jishnu Dev Varma further asserted that the Adivasis live beyond the boundaries of caste, creed, or religion. Their way of life is deeply connected to nature and grounded in age-old traditions. Living with simplicity and minimal needs, they find contentment not in material wealth but in their close relationship with the natural world, he said. Praising the energy of the tribal youth, the Governor said, “These are not favours, these are your rights. This is your time.”

The event was attended by key officials, including M. Dana Kishore, Principal Secretary to the Governor; Dr. G. Narendra Kumar, DG, NIRDPR; Dr. A. Sharat, Secretary, Tribal Welfare; Badavath Santhosh, Collector of Nagarkurnool district ; Rohit Gopidi, Project Officer of ITDA (Chenchus); Dr. A. Sri Ramulu, CEO, Indian Red Cross Society (Telangana); and representatives from Leaf Plate Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Raj Bhavan, and Red Cross district  units from  Nagarkurnool, Bhadradri Kothagudem and Adilabad districts. This initiative is a strong step toward sustainable development, livelihood enhancement and empowerment of tribal communities in Telangana, the Governor added.