Udupi: Karnataka Bhovi Development Corporation chairperson M Ramappa directed officials to ensure that several welfare programmes for the social, educational and economic development of the Bhovi community reach the marginalised individuals of the community in a timely manner.
In Udupi, 21 people have already applied, but only two have availed of the benefit.
He said that along with implementing the five guarantee schemes for the welfare of common people, the state govt has also rolled out six separate guarantee schemes for the development of the Bhovi community. “It is the duty of public representatives and officials to ensure that all these schemes reach every eligible poor person, destitute and marginalised individual of the Bhovi community,” he added. When members of this community apply for caste certificates along with original documents, revenue department officials should take the initiative, verify them, and coordinate to ensure eligible persons receive caste certificates,” said Ramappa. The remaining applicants’ cases have been sent to the forest and revenue departments to obtain NOCs, and there has been a delay in issuing them, he said, and instructed the officials to follow up on this and proceed to allocate quarries in accordance with rules within two months. Children from the Bhovi community should be provided higher education, he said, adding that appropriate measures should be taken to enrol more children from this community in prestigious schools.
“For the Bhovi community with a poor background to progress socially, economically and educationally, a SC certificate is essential. The traditional occupation of the Bhovi community is stone cutting. Govt has made provisions to allocate stone quarries up to two acres. Corporation managing director Chandra Nayak detailed the schemes implemented by the corporation and the challenges faced by the community in obtaining SC certificates.
He was speaking while chairing a progress review and consultative meeting with community leaders and workers regarding various schemes being implemented by the corporation, at the deputy commissioner’s office on Wednesday.