Commission on Nomadic Tribes to submit report in Feb

Mysore, Dec 27 (UNI) A three-member delegation of the National Commission for Denotified Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Tribes today visited the city and is expected to submit its report to the Union Government on February five, 2007.

The delegation comprised Commission Chairman Balakrishna S Renake, member Lakshmibai Patni and Member-Secretary Lakshmichand.

Speaking to newspersons here, Mr Renake said the top most priority of the Commission was to bring the nomadic communities to the mainstream of society by giving them the right to live, preventing them from migrating and protecting them as ethnic groups through rehabilitation.

He said the Commission, constituted on February six, 2006, had visited 13 States. During a recent visit to Gulbarga, the delegation found instances of parents selling their children out of proverty and that they did not have any territorial rights. According to an UNICEF survey, based on an earlier British castewise survey of nomads in India, their population might have touched at least 15 crore now and about 27,000 women were forced into prostitution by their own kith and kin, he pointed out.

Mr Renake said the nomads in Ekalavya Nagar in the city had put forth 12 major demands, including setting up a school, issuing ration cards, providing drinking water facility, electricity, roads and fair price shops. ''We have assured to provide them all basic amenities, including houses under various Government schemes,'' he added.

The delegation was accompanied by Mr S P Iraddy, Secretary, State Commission for Backward Classes, and other officials.

UNI BSP GD HVB1930