New Delhi, In an effort to provide more welfare facilities for the Scheduled Tribes, the tribal affairs ministry has sought diversion of forest land for health and education schemes for these communities. According to sources, the ministry of tribal affairs has written to the environment and forest ministry for providing facilities relating to health, education and irrigation among others to the tribals provisioned under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. The act empowers the Centre to divert forest land for the purpose of setting up schools, dispensary or hospital, anganwadis, fair price shops, non-conventional sources of energy, skill upgradation or vocational training centres, roads and community centres. This 2006 act also vests powers in government to divert forest land for the purpose of setting up of electric and tele-communication lines, tanks and other minor water bodies, drinking water supply and water pipelines, water or rain water harvesting structures and minor irrigation canals for the tribals. The act, however, restricts the diversion of forest land to less than one hectare in each case and it stipulates that the felling of trees should not exceed 75 trees per hectare.