Bunts too belong to agrarian community: Rai

Minister for Forests, Environment and Ecology, Ramanath Rai, on Sunday said Bunts originally belonged to agrarian community but had to take up other sectors like manufacturing and service owing to social changes.

Addressing the gathering at Prathibha Puraskar, organised by Bunts Sangha Charitable Trust at Buntara Bhavan at Vijayanagar, he said, people of the community had migrated to various parts of the country and beyond for business due to changes in the society.

He said Bunts have earned respect and have scaled greater heights. Y Sudhir Kumar Shetty, the president of UAE Exchange in Abu Dhabi, is a classic example, Rai said. Shetty was felicitated on the occasion for his achievements.

Rai said, he had not involved in activities defaming the community and also promised that he would never engage in any activities that would bring discredit to the community.

The minister lauded the Bunts’ Sangha and the Trust for constructing a community hall ‘Buntara Bhavan’ in the city, which is unique with heritage touch.

Speaking on the occasion, Bunts’ Charitable Trust managing trustee K Ganesh Narayana Hegde said the building has been constructed at a cost of Rs 13.75 crore on 55,000 sqft. The sangha has taken up several welfare activities for the benefit of the people of the community in Mysuru, Mandya and Chamarajnagar districts, Hegde added.

The sangha felicitated the students, belonging to the community, who had scored top marks in SSLC and II PU exams for 2015-16.

Sangha chief patron K Prakash Shetty, president T Prabhakar Shetty, secretaries Sudheer Shetty, M Nandyappa Shetty among others were present.