State to seek internal quota for forest dwellers

The government has decided to approach the Centre seeking internal reservation for forest dwellers, said Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Anjaneya said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would shortly convene a meeting in this regard. He said several government programmes and schemes were not reaching forest dwellers.

The minister said the population of the Koraga community in Dakshina Kannada was dwindling at an alarming pace. As per the 2011 census, there were 6,327 Koragas in Karnataka. However, owing to poor health, their numbers are dwindling.

In a bid to bring the Koraga and Jenu Kuruba tribes to the mainstream, the government is also disbursing unemployment dole of Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,000 to the community’s graduates and postgraduates who have remained jobless for two years.DH News Service