Union Tribal Affairs Minister Kantilal Bhuria on Thursday said that the Centre is planning to spend Rs 1,000 crore in the next fiscal eyeing upon checking dropouts and raising literacy among the tribals. After inaugurating a seminar ''We and our tribes: Caring culture and sharing thoughts''.he said that the centre is planning to spend Rs 1,000 crore for tribal education during the next fiscal.

Stressing that most of the funds would be spent on building residential ''ekalavya'' schools, Bhuria said Rs 12 to Rs 16 crore would be spent on each hostel, adding that tribal hostels would come up in different districts and each hostel would have a capacity of 320 seats- 160 each for boys and girls.

Bhuria said that there were also plans to double the scholarship for tribal students.

The centre would also assist the tribal students, who wish to pursue higher educations abroad, he claimed.

Bhuria held lack of education responsible for the frequent tribal-dalit clashes witnessed in Orissa.