The government needs to secure livelihood of tribals whose land are acquired for development projects as displacement is leading to loss of occupation and often exposing their womenfolk to "exploitation", Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath said today.

Inaugurating a two-day meet on 'Scheduled Tribe Women and Children: Issues and Challenges for Development', she also pitched for smart cards for tribals to tackle their problems after migrating to urban areas for better employment avenues.

"Smart cards can help them get basic services anywhere in the country where they migrate. Voter cards or ration cards cannot be of help in such situations. We are going to start such a scheme in Delhi," she later told reporters.

"Large-scale displacement of tribals due to land acquisition for development is a challenge. Women become most vulnerable in such situations."