Karnataka - Bijapur   

Officials meet leaders of two communities

Staff Correspondent

Peace panel meeting to be held soon

BIJAPUR: A team of officials visited Kadkol after a report on social boycott of Dalits in the village was published by The Hindu on Saturday.

Directive

The team visited the village after Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and top officials directed Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Mohsin to initiate steps to help the Dalits immediately.

Additional Superintendent of Police S. Shivanand, Deputy Superintendent of Police S.Y. Bellubbi, Basavanabagewadi Tahsildar R.M. Reddy, Social Welfare Officer Pujari and District Officer for SC/ST Development Corporation M.H. Hargapur met the Dalits on Saturday.

Demand

Reports received here said the affected people had demanded that they be relocated near Allamaprabhu Gudi. They also demanded that they be given work as an immediate means of livelihood to which the officials responded positively.

Sources said that Mr. Pujari sought a list of families which wanted to shift to a new place. Mr. Shivanand sought their opinion on a proposal to build overhead water tanks for them.

Opposed

However, they opposed the proposal stating that it would mean continuation of untouchability indirectly.

Mr. Hargapur promised the Dalits that the corporation would sanction loans to those interested in opening shops and mills and taking up animal husbandry.

Meeting

The officials also met the leaders of caste Hindus. According to Mr. Bellubbi, a peace committee meeting would be held at Basavanabagewadi soon to find a solution to the issue.

Mr. Mohsin told The Hindu that the district administration had initiated several steps to end the social boycott of Dalits in the village.

Soon after the issue came to his notice, he visited the village in August along with Superintendent of Police Seemant Kumar Singh.

Committee

A committee comprising members from both communities had been formed to maintain peace, Mr. Mohsin said.

The Dalits had been given work under the "food-for-work" programme for many days, Mr. Mohsin said.

Efforts

The Deputy Commissioner said that foodgrains had been distributed to the affected people of the village.

Efforts were on to settle the issue amicably, the Deputy Commissioner said.

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