Mysuru: Thanks to the struggle launched by tribal leader Muthamma, actor Chetan Ahimhsa and others, tribal families living in the line houses of plantations in Kodagu, who claimed they were treated as bonded labourers, have help coming their way.
Beside recent arrangements to provide sites and houses in 21 acres of land in Bedagudda and Basavanahalli in Kodagu to rehabilitate 528 tribal families evicted from the reserve forest at Diddalli in Kodagu, the district administration plans to identify and rehabilitate all the remaining families in the line houses too.
They have even identified land to provide 30x40 sites to over a thousand more tribal families, who do not have sites or houses. Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Richard Vincent D Souza told Deccan Chronicle that they have identified 58 acres of land including 19 acres in Birunani, 20 acres in Theralu and 19 acres in Heggala in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu.
“In order to identify the tribals who do not have houses, we have invited applications from them. They should produce their voter ID, ration card and other documents and register with the taluk tribal officer. We will provide sites to all of them in a phased manner,” he said.
While it is raining heavily in Kodagu, work to build temporary shelters for tribal people evicted from Diddalli, is going on briskly after Department of Social Welfare Secretary Mr P Manivannan visited Bedagudda and Basavanahalli where the tribals were relocated. So far 145 temporary shelters at Basavanahalli and 175 temporary shelters at Bedagudda are ready.
It is planned to build houses on 30x30 sites at a cost of Rs 4 lakh each, in 14 acres of land in Bedagudda for 347 families, and in seven acres of land Basavanahalli for 181 families.
Muthamma: My dream has come true
Muthamma, who launched the protest for land and sites for tribal families living in the line houses in plantations in Kodagu, said: “I am very happy. It was my dream to free the tribal families from bonded labour. Had I not been restricted, I would have continued to fight in a bigger way, until all arrangements were made for my people.”
