GULBARGA: Devadasis and destitute women from north Karnataka districts will take out a "Delhi Chalo" on January 9 and meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi demanding that the State Government rehabilitate Devadasis and destitute women on the lines of the Maharashtra Government.

Karnataka State Destitute, Widow and Devadasi Social Services Society president Ambanna Kinnagikar and vice-president Subash Gouli told presspersons here on Wednesday that repeated pleas to the State Government to adopt the Maharashtra model to rehabilitate Devadasis and destitute women in the State, have fallen on deaf ears.

They demanded that a monthly pension of Rs. 500 and 25 kg of rice be given to Devadasis and destitute women. The Government should extend assistance through the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.

The association, which has its units in Bidar, Gulbarga, Raichur, Koppal and Bijapur districts, has appealed to its members to join the protesters in New Delhi on January 9 to present a memorandum to the Prime Minister and Ms. Sonia Gandhi.

Schemes

Mr. Kinnagikar and Mr. Gouli noted that Maharashtra has introduced several welfare schemes to rehabilitate Devadasis and destitute women, which helped eliminate the Devadasi system under which young girls from backward communities were forced into prostitution.

Mr. Kinnagikar noted that there are no welfare programmes aimed at rehabilitating Devadasis in Karnataka. Those that were in vogue have been withdrawn. Also, Rs. 2 crores provided every year to the Women and Child Welfare Department for the welfare of Devadasis and destitute women has been stopped, he added.

He said that as in Maharashtra, the State Government should provide Rs. 25,000 for the marriage of children of Devadasis and extend help to Devadasis to educate their children.

The Government should also reserve 10 per cent of the posts in Government departments for the children of Devadasis as is the case in Maharashtra, he added.

Mr. Kinnagikar demanded that the Government order a survey to find out the number of Devadasis in the State and their living condition. The Government should fix targets to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation and the Backward Classes and Minorities Development Corporation to provide financial assistance under various programmes to Devadasis and their family members.

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