Members of State Human Rights Commission interact with Yarava community…listen to the grievances

Members of the State Human Rights Commission including Chairman Justice L Narayanaswamy, members S K Vantigodi and T Sham Bhatt interacted with recently with poor and shelterless Yarava community families at Balugodu in Bittangala Gram Panchayat GP) limits. The community members do not have sites, houses, and proper drinking water supply, and electricity and transport facilities. They have been residing in tarpaulin huts. Speaking during the occasion Justice Narayanaswamy urged the families to educate their children by admitting them to residential schools and added that children should be provided education as it brings in change. Shobha, a community member, said that they were eking out a living through daily wage work. In the last six months, they have been residing on this paisari land in huts and have no sites. We spend sleepless nights with the fear of snakes entering the huts, she added. Members complained that the 5-kg rice distributed through PDS is not sufficient and added that they have to walk a kilometre to fetch a pot of water. The authorities should earmark sites and help in constructing houses, they added. Commission Member SK Vantigodi said the water will be supplied through tankers immediately. ITDP officer Honne Gowda said steps will be taken to admit children to residential schools and added that a proposal will be submitted for constructing houses for Yarava community members. Taluk Panchayat EO Appanna and Bittangala GP PDO Vishwanath said a decision on sites will be taken in the gramsabha. The Commission Chairman Narayanaswamy accepted grievances from the public. Earlier, he spoke about the huge development disparities in the country. He also said that India is making a mark in space science by successfully launching Chandrayaan but people still reside in huts without any basic amenities.He said that we need to introspect whether the country has progressed. He said basic amenities should be ensured to the Yarava community members at Balugodu and added that about 5% of the government schemes have not reached the needy. Commission member S K Vantigodi said there is a violation of when we notice the statusof Yarava haadi. The public urged the commission to solve the problems at Morarji Desai Residential School at Arji.