A survey in Bargur Hills revealed that 2,300 people are yet to receive their ethnic and community certificates while many families do not have basic documents such as Aadhaar card and electors photo identity card (EPIC).
There are 33 hamlets in Bargur Panchayat in Anthiyur block where members of Lingayat and Urali depend on agriculture and collect minor forest produce for their livelihood. Their lands are rain-fed and hence they go for work in plains for six months in a year. In the absence of valid documents, many did not receive government assistance during the COVID-19 lockdown and Tamil Nadu Tribal People Association and Service Unit for Development Activities in Rural (SUDAR), an NGO, conducted a survey in the West Bargur Hills covering 15 hamlets, including Onnakarai, Osur, Kovil Natham, Chinna Sengulam, Periya Sengulam, Agnipavi and Kongadai.
A total of 886 families comprising 3,500 people in the hamlets were covered during the survey that revealed that 218 families did not have ration cards, 574 without Aadhaar cards, 356 people without tribal welfare board identity card, 532 without EPIC, 576 without bank accounts, 537 without life insurances, 191 elderly persons not receiving old age pensions and 2,323 people without community and ethnic certificates.
The survey report was handed over to Tiruppur MP K. Subbarayan who assured to take up the issue with the district administration.
