A separate Directorate for Tribal Welfare was created (separately) by bifurcating from Social Welfare Department in the year 1966 vide G.O.Ms. No.2710, dated 14-11-1966 of Education Department. In pursuance of the orders of the Government in the said GO, the Director of Social Welfare in his proceedings Rc.No.44598/66, dated 20-05-1967 distributed the posts between Social Welfare and Tribal Welfare Departments to enable newly formed Tribal Welfare Department to function.

The Tribal Welfare Department is headed by Commissioner / Director of Tribal Welfare at Hyderabad. He is also ex-officio Managing Director for A.P.S.T.Finance Corporation (TRICOR) and he is also member Secretary, A.P.T.W. Residential Educational Institutions Society. The department has District Tribal Welfare Officers in the districts of Krishna, Guntur, Nellore, Chittoor, Prakasam, Ananthapur, Mahaboobnagar, Cuddapah, Kurnool, Nizamabad, Kareemnagar, Nalgonda, Medak. For Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district, there is one District Tribal Welfare Officer. In the districts of Adilabad, Warangal, Khammam, West Godavari, East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam. There are Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDAs) in each district for the overall development of Scheduled Tribes. ITDAs are headed by District Collectors as Chairman. There is a Project Officer at each ITDA as Member Secretary cum-Treasury. There are Project Officers for implementing Modified Area Development Programmes at Nalgonda, and Mannanur in Mahaboobnagar district. The District Tribal Welfare Officers in the ITDAs district and MADA districts assist the Project Officers There is one ITDA at Srisailam for the development of Chenchus inhabiting in the districts of Kurnool, Mahaboobnagar, Guntur, Prakasam, Nalgonda, and Ranga Reddy. There is one ITDA at Nellore for the development of Yanadis imhabitating in the districts of Prakasam, Nellore and Chittoor.

The department receives funds under non-plan and plan from the State Government. The department receives plan assistance for implementing Centr4ally sponsored schemes and central sector programmes from Government of India. The S.T.Fianance Corporation receive 2% of general funds from the local bodies to be spent as margin money. The department also receives funding under externally aided projects as decided by the Government from time to time.