Newly-appointed chairperson of the Karnataka State Tanda Development Authority Jalaja Naik has said that the State government has released a sum of Rs. 75 crore to the authority for taking up various development activities in the 3,300-plus tandas in the State.
Talking to presspersons in Kalaburagi city on Saturday, Ms. Naik said that utilising the funds released by the State government, the authority would take up the construction of internal roads in tandas, anganwadi centres, and community halls. The authority would also take up a campaign against superstitious practices.
Ms. Naik said that the authority would soon be submitting a proposal to the State government for the establishment of a comprehensive cultural centre for the Banjara community in a 34-acre plot at Lal Dari Village in Humnabad taluk in Bidar district.
The centre would have wide-ranging facilities for providing training to youngsters in traditional vocations of the Banjara community.
Ms. Naik said a similar cultural centre is already functioning at Suryanagonda village near Koppa in Tumkur district. The government has already cleared the proposal for establishing a similar cultural centre for the Banjara community at a cost of Rs. 7 crore at Bahadur Banda in Koppal district.
She said that the authority has taken up an ambitious project for studying the overall status of the Banjara community by deputing a five-member team consisting of members of the community to each taluk in the State. The team would conduct a detailed survey of the educational and economic status of the community, literacy rate and basic amenities available in the tandas.
To a question, Ms. Naik said there were 3,361 tandas in the State and a demand would also be placed before the State government for conversion of these tandas into revenue villages. At present there are around 131 Sevalal Bhavans in the state. Umesh Jadav, MLA, was present.
