MYSORE: People of the Soliga and Beda Kampana tribal communities, settled in and around Malai Mahadeshwara Hills, are eagerly looking forward to the first visit be a Chief Minister to their `haadis' (tribal settlements).

The S.M. Krishna government held a mini-Cabinet meeting in H.D. Kote and Biligirirangana Betta (B.R. Hills) to address the problems of the tribal people. But nothing much was done subsequently.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's decision to stay overnight at the Kombudikki tribal settlement at the foot of M.M. Hills on May 28 has elated the tribal people.

The settlement is 10 km from M.M. Hills. Of the 148 families there, 117 belong to the Beda Kampana tribe. But they have not been included in the list of Scheduled Tribes. More than 10,000 people belonging to the tribe are hoping that Mr. Kumaraswamy will take their case to the Union Government.

The authorities in Chamarajanagar district are sprucing up the settlement. According to sources, the Chief Minister will stay in the house of Chinnappi, a leader of the Soliga community.

Basic amenities lacking

The people here do not have basic amenities such as drinking water, sanitation and power. Buses ply only up to M.M. Hills. The people eke out a living by weaving bamboo baskets. There are over 50 children studying in the primary school in the settlement.

The settlement will undergo a dramatic change within a week, according to the chief executive officer of the Chamarajanagar Zilla Panchayat, Jayaram. Some houses are being built for those who live in huts. Work drilling a borewell, digging an open well and energising a mini-water supply scheme is fast progressing. A check-dam will be conducted to harness water from a stream near Kombudikki. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has been asked to operate a bus service to Kombudikki.

"Their demands for a burial ground and a road for to their settlement will be met. They will be given `patta' for the land they are cultivating. A work-shed to weave bamboo baskets will be constructed in the centre of the settlement. Assistance will be provided to take up sheep rearing and ration cards will be issued to every family," he explained.

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