- The housing schemes intended to benefit nearly half the population of the Koragas community, which are deprived of basic needs of drinking water and shelter, have hit a bureaucratic wall.
- According to a recent survey, of a total of over 4500 Koragas, about 70% live in the taluks of Mangalore and Bantwal of which some reside on government land and others on forest land and a few on their own private land. Reasons are the Refusal of the Revenue Department to transfer the case to kin’s name, or societal discrimination.
- A few of them turned out by their landlord are living in crumbling houses lining a steep hill and occupying government land.
- Under Basava housing scheme opted by the Zilla Panchayat, a subsidy of Rs. 1.75 lakh is provided for the construction of an 800sq ft house, but since they don’t have title deeds, and also since the the land is not officially under their names. This outlines the necessity of giving them an alternate government land.
- This particularly vulnerable tribal group should enjoy land rights under section 94C (Grant of land in case of construction of dwelling house in occupied land) of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act 1964, and be allotted forest land under the Forest Rights Act.
- Read at: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/koraga-housing-scheme-
trips-on-red-tape/article5955305.ece
Exams Perspective:
- Basava Housing Scheme
- Koraga Tribals
- Forest Rights Act