Govt unveils welfare schemes for Adivasis

From Rajesh Parishwad (DHNS)
H D KOTE (Mysore dist)

The State government today announced a rehabilitation package for 154 evicted tribal families of Alangatti hamlet in Kakanakote forest area, besides offering welfare schemes to provide housing, power and education facilities to other tribals who had been displaced due to various irrigation projects in Mysore district.

Briefing reporters after what was called a "mini cabinet meeting" at Hosahalli hamlet in the interiors of forest areas in the H D Kote taluk of Mysore district today, Chief Minister S M Krishna said the government would make efforts to complete the rehabilitation process for the 154 families, which were evicted as they were residing in forest area, by June 30 this year. For this, the government has identified 4,220 acres of land out of which 1,070 belongs to State revenue department and the remaining 3,170 acres to the forest department, he said. Mr Krishna pointed out that the government would not have any problems transferring revenue lands to the tribals and orders would be issued soon in this regard. However, he hinted that seeking the forest land for rehabilitation would not be an easy task and said the chief secretary would soon meet officials of the Union forest and environment ministry in this connection at New Delhi.

The principal secretary of the revenue department would monitor the implementation of the package, Mr Krishna said. Recalling his promise made to tribals to hold a meeting at Hosahalli to sort out their problems after his visit in December last year, Mr Krishna said, "The government machinery is here and this points out our seriousness to redress tribals' problems." The mini-cabinet meeting to be held outside Bangalore is the first of its kind to focus on a particular issue since the Congress came to power last year.

Housing plan

Listing out the other welfare schemes for the tribals, the chief minister said that the government would construct 2,700 houses for tribals belonging to Jainukurba, Kadukurba, Soliga and other tribes under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation during this year. Apart from this, Mata Amruthanandamayi Math was also considering a proposal to build houses for displaced tribals. Ragi and pulses would be given to them through Public Distribution System instead of mobile units, he said, adding that all the borewells sunk under Gangakalyana scheme would be electrified by end of this month.

He also promised to relax recruitment rules pertaining to physical ability and educational qualifications to employ tribals in the forest department. The education department would start ashram schools for tribals besides training tribal women as Assistant Non-Medical Staff for opening health centres. In bid to strengthen Large-scale Adivasi Multi-Purpose Society (LAMPS), Mr Krishna said the government would reduce licence fee to Rs 100 as tribals could not afford the present charges. "It will be a token amount to promote the LAMPS," he remarked. The chief minister hoped that the problems of the displaced tribals and others would be redressed from this rehabilitation package.

To a query on the total cost of the rehabilitation packages, Mr Krishna said, "We have taken these issues regardless of financial implications. We don't have the exact figures earmarked for these welfare schemes," he said. Answering to another query, the chief minister said that there will be no further "dilution of ST list" and it had come to the notice of the government that some people had been producing fake ST certificates to receive benefits provided to tribals.

The meeting was attended by Forest Minister K H Ranganath, Social Welfare Minister Kagodu Thimmappa, Primary and Secondary Education Minister H Vishwanath, Minister of State for Finance M Shivanna, who also represents H D Kote Assembly constitutency, and Chief Secretary Theresa Bhattacharya. After the three-hour Cabinet meeting held at Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement campus, Mr Krishna met the NGOs and addressed a public meeting. He also distributed Patta (Land record) certificates to tribals.