Tribals pin high hopes on budget

MYSORE: As Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda is getting ready to present the State Budget 2012, tribal forums held interactions on previous programmes and pressed for a separate budget for four lakh adivasis and tribals.The tribal community is happy with the government for starting Early Childhood Care Education programme in tribal hadis by appointing a caretaker and starting mini anganwadi centres. Nutritional food is supplied in Hunsur and Heggadevakote taluk and the tribals want the government to convert it into permanent aganawadi centres and open it in all 1,500 hadis of 21 taluks and 12 districts of the State.“The government should give special attention to 12 tribal sects, including Jeenu Kuruba, Bettakuruba, Soliga and other communities and   prevail upon the Centre to provide free nutritional food to all tribals,” they demanded.Tribals want the government to support their agriculture practices. There should be monetary support to develop tribal land for sustainable livelihood and encourage tree-based cultivation inside forest and jamma land to protect wild life and check man-animal conflict.As the hadis had registered poor attendance and lack of attention among the students in Ashram schools that have no trained teachers had forced the forums to ask the government to appoint trained teachers to Moraji Desai, Ashram and Ekalavya schools that should be taken over by the Education Department.  Development Through Education (DEED) Director Srikanth said the Social Welfare Department has control over boarding and lodging facilities in Ashram schools and imparting education is a different issue. He said the government should encourage promotion of inheritance knowledge and tribal culture to see that they are not influenced by religious fundamentalists.Tribal Joint Action Committee convenor Malleshappa said the government should provide good houses with toilets to all families recognised under the Forest Rights Act and inputs for agriculturist practices.He said this should be the core area of the government to help them live in a hygienic atmosphere and make agriculture a source of income. Tribal rights activist Nanjundaiah urged the government to implement Forest Rights Act to clear all applications seeking land.