Madikeri: Lack of education, poor awareness on health, isolation from the national mainstream and official apathy have hindered the development of Scheduled Tribes in the country, Buduru Srinivasulu, Member, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, said here on Tuesday.

Mr. Srinivasulu was interacting with presspersons after hearing the appeal of the Codava National Council (CNC), which urged him to include the Kodavas in the primitive tribe list.

The CNC cadres had submitted a memorandum to the commission when they had staged a satyagraha in New Delhi on April 7.

He had come here to assess the social status of Kodava people, based on the memorandum submitted by the CNC.

It would also hold a review meeting with district officials to gather information on various aspects of tribal welfare in the district. Mr. Srinivasulu would visit several backward villages in the district on Wednesday with the CNC cadres to assess the lifestyle of the Kodavas.

Large sums of money had been made over to the States for tribal development since Independence but their development had not taken place as expected, Mr. Srinivasulu said. He would also ascertain how much funds had come to Kodagu.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail