Sorake to review welfare schemes for Koraga community

Vinay Kumar Sorake, Urban Development Minister, said on Tuesday that he would soon call a district-level officials’ meeting to review the development programmes aimed at the welfare of Koraga community. He was speaking at Valmiki Jayanti celebrations organised by the district administration here.

Mr. Sorake said the government had taken several steps for the welfare of the Koraga community, a Scheduled Tribe. On the occasion, 24 autorickshaws, four taxis and two goods carriers were provided to members of the community here.

As many as 19 members of the community were given financial aid for construction of houses. The Department of Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) was focusing on providing employment to the youth from tribal communities.

Though the Koraga community had remained backward for a long time, in the last two decades, they had organised themselves. They were now conscious of their rights and also wanted to take advantage of the government schemes. “It is necessary to take the community into confidence while implementing schemes for their development,” he said.

Maharshi Valmiki wrote the epic Ramayana, which focused on how an ideal society should be. It was necessary to follow the ideals of Valmiki, Mr. Sorake said.

Earlier, Rajendra S. Naik, principal of Lakshmi Soma Bangera Government First Grade College, delivered a lecture on Valmiki.

H.S. Premnath, Project Coordinator of ITDP, welcomed the gathering. Savita S. Kotian, president of the Udupi Zilla Panchayat, Janardhan Tonse, Chairman of the Udupi Urban Development Authority, and R. Vishal, Deputy Commissioner, were present.