JOIN USThe Koraga colonies have been smothered due to lack of infrastructure facilities in Dakshina Kannada.
Discussions are rife on the need for the construction of good houses for the Koraga families in the district for the last several years. However, as the officials did not have concrete figures on the condition of the Koragas in the district, no steps were taken in this regard.
In the recently concluded survey, as many as 33 Koraga families do not have houses in the district. The survey found that as many as 446 families own land, 305 families reside on government land and 10 families reside on forest land. As many as 174 families live on other type of land. About 198 families own pucca houses, 298 families own semi-pucca houses and 406 houses own kuccha houses.
A total of 935 families have been included in the survey, of which, in Mangalore taluk (barring MCC limits), 503 families have been surveyed. It was found that 17 families do not have houses. As many as 92 families own pucca houses, 153 families own semi-pucca houses and 241 families own kuccha houses.
About 205 families own land, 189 families are residing in government land and seven families on forest land. In Bantwal taluk, as many as 12 families do not have houses of their own. The survey was conducted among 187 families, of which 43 own pucca houses, 59—semi pucca houses, and 73—kuccha houses. As many as 83 families own land, 65 families reside on government land.
The survey found that one family does not have house in Puttur taluk. There are 100 families in the taluk, of which, 23 own pucca houses, 38 —semi pucca houses and 38 —kuccha houses. As many as 56 families own land, 31 families reside on government land, three families reside in forest land.
In Belthangady, as many as three families do not have houses. Of the 113 families, 33 families own pucca houses, 33 —semi pucca and 44—kuccha houses. As many as 80 families own land, 12 families reside on government land.
In Sullia taluk, all the Koraga families own houses. Of the 32 families, seven families own pucca houses, 15 families own semi pucca houses and 10 families own kuccha houses. As many as 22 families own land, eight families reside on the government land.
The former Minister J. Krishna Palemar had mooted a proposal of building houses for houseless Koragas under public-private partnership.
When it was discussed in the meeting of the zilla panchayat council a month ago, the council decided to conduct a re-survey of Koragas before taking up the housing project.
In the Zilla Panchayat meeting held on January 2, all the zilla panchayat members had alleged that the survey to find out the status of Koragas were not carried out scientifically in the past. Zilla Panchayat CEO Dr K N Vijayaprakash had directed the officials to carry out the survey in association with the elected representatives.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, ITDP officer Shivaramayya said that the survey was carried out in 203 Gram Panchayats.
He said the team which carried out the survey included Panchayat Development Officer, Gram Panchayat Secretary, Social Welfare Officer, hostel supervisors and the Zilla Panchayat members. “We also collected a copy of letter from the elected representatives that the survey was carried out in the gram panchayat limits,” he said.
The survey aimed at collecting details on the condition of the house in which Koragas live, the type of land owned by the Koraga families (like government land, forest land), whether there is a road connectivity to Koraga colonies and sources of water for the Koraga families in the district. The information would help the authorities to provide better facilities and construct houses for the Koraga families with the help of private partnership.
Sources in the Zilla Panchayat said that it had been estimated to build a house at an estimated cost of Rs 2.10 lakh, of which Rs 60,000 would be raised from private and public sector companies as donation and the balance would be borne by the Union and State governments.
As the zilla panchayat could not accept donations directly from the companies, a proposal had been sent to the State Government permitting to form a trust to receive the donations for the project.
“Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation will give Rs 50,000, Union government— Rs 75,000, social welfare department—Rs 25,000 and private companies— Rs 60,000 for the construction of houses for Koraga families,” added sources in Zilla Panchayat.
“We have a list of Koraga families in Mangalore City Corporation limits. The decision on carrying out survey in MCC limits would be taken later as the ITDP does not have its own staff in the MCC limits,” he said.