The Karnataka Legislature Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Welfare Committee, headed by P.M. Narendra Swamy, has recommended that the government provide 50 per cent subsidy on tractors being purchased by farmers belonging to SC and ST communities for farming purpose.
Report tabledThe committee report, which was tabled in both the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly on Saturday also recommended formation of agricultural cooperative societies to provide basic facilities to farmers from SC and ST communities who own land for taking up agricultural activities.
The other recommendation is formulation of new policies jointly by the departments of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Horticulture, and Social Welfare to help the community members take up dairy farming, sheep rearing and other farm-related activities.
The committee directed the Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Forests, to set right the anomaly in promoting officials belonging to the communities to the posts of Range Forest Officer and Assistant Conservator of Forests.
Middlemen menaceExpressing its dissatisfaction over the role of middlemen in providing facilities to the community, the committee recommended that the Department of Forests bear the cost of gas connection units from the Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan funds. Middlemen were exploiting farmers by collecting more that the stipulated amount for setting up gas connection unit, the committee said.
