Deccan Herald

GULBARGA: The North Karnataka Destitute Women and Devadasi Welfare Association has demanded that the Women and Child Develo pment Department provide old-age pension to destitute women and devadasis.In a note here today, association State President Ambanna Kinigikar charged that even though there were facilities from the SC/ST Development Corpora tion and the Backward Classes Development Corporation to provide loans to the destitute women and devadasis, the banks were not coming forward to provide the loans.

Mr Kinigikar stated that the Maharashtra government was providing a monthly pension of Rs 300 to the devadasis. Likewise, he urged the State Government to provide pension benefits of Rs 500 monthly to the devadasis in the State, and also provide them with ten kilograms of rice every month. As the Maharashtra government was providing Rs 10,000 towards the marriage of the children of these devadasis, he urged that the State government also implement this scheme. He also stated that the government should provide loans for the devadasis who were willing to start new businesses, and provide a ten per cent reservation for the children of these devadasis in employment. His other demands included the constitution of self-help groups of the devadasis, the organisation of a survey of the devadasis in the State, and the provision of houses and sites to the destitutes and devadasis under the rehabilitation programme.