Hiriyur: Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Tuesday that Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Golla and Kadu Golla communities would be discussed again in the Cabinet and legal experts’ advice taken, after the Centre rejected the proposal the state had sent earlier. Calling the rejection “painful”, he said a suitable solution would be found if the election code of conduct does not stand in the way.
He spoke after launching work on an Okkaligara Bhavan and an underground drainage (UGD) project in Hiriyur town, and later at a press meet, according to a release from the Chief Minister’s media team.
Golla and Kadu Golla demand
Shivakumar said Golla community leaders had met him on the reservation issue, and that the government aims to treat all communities equally, including Golla, Kadu Golla, Okkaligas, Veerashaivas, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minorities.
He said there are about 40,000 Kadu Golla people in Hiriyur constituency and more than 1.5 lakh in neighbouring constituencies, and accused the BJP-led Centre of denying them ST reservation. He said the state had submitted the ethnographic study on the Kadu Golla community to the Centre four to five times since Siddaramaiah’s tenure, and that it had been rejected each time.
Taking a swipe at H.D. Deve Gowda, he said Deve Gowda had promised in the last election that the Kadu Golla ST certificate was “in his pocket” and that he would secure the reservation, and asked whether he had kept his word.
Other announcements and claims
- Housing: land is being identified to distribute sites to about 10,000 poor families in Hiriyur constituency. The state aims to distribute 5 lakh sites this year, with ministers G. Parameshwara and Zameer Ahmed Khan given the responsibility.
- Funds: Shivakumar said about ₹2,500 crore in grants had been brought for Hiriyur’s development. An order has been issued to release ₹5 crore for the Okkaligara Bhavan, which will cost ₹12 crore in all; he said former MLA Sudhakar had earlier contributed ₹1.5 crore. The UGD project for Hiriyur town costs about ₹100 crore.
- Self-employment: financial help is being given through the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes welfare department, under Minister Muniyappa’s department, to young people to start work, buy vehicles, drill borewells or run shops.
- Land records: besides the five guarantees, he described permanent land records, covering podi, e-khata, photographs and measurement, as a sixth guarantee.
- Farm power: he said the government spends about ₹30,000 crore to supply 6 to 7 hours of power to farmers daily, that the cost rose by ₹10,000 crore this year, and that more than 200 taluks are drought-hit.
Press meet remarks
Asked about the zilla panchayat and taluk panchayat elections, Shivakumar said the government is committed to holding them and that the electoral roll to be used would be decided.
Asked about local opinion against Suhas Sudhakar in Hiriyur, he called it the opposition’s talk and said 72 per cent of Hiriyur’s people support the Congress. He said he would release a survey if needed and that four strong surveys had been done. These are the Chief Minister’s own statements; no survey details were provided in the release.
Asked about MP Govind Karjol’s objection that works for which foundation stones were laid in Hiriyur lack permissions, Shivakumar said Karjol had not kept his word. He offered to arrange a debate if Karjol is ready to discuss with Minister Muniyappa, and said Karjol should first get ₹5,400 crore released for the Upper Bhadra project.
The statements above are the Chief Minister’s, as given in the release from his media team. The release did not say when the Cabinet would take up the matter.
About the Author
