Malekudiya tribals deprive of basic facilities
Demand for road, electrification remains a distant dream
Belthangady, August 10: Though the Malekudiya tribals in Banjaru Male in Neriya village in the taluk have been living without basic infrastructure for decades, neither the elected representatives nor the officials came forward to fulfill their demands of a road connectivity and electrification. The residents have been running from pillar to post to get their works done. Successive governments also have failed to provide the minimum basic facilities.
The previous Congress government had released Rs 2 crore in the last days for concretization of road. Shortly after this, Assembly election was announced and the project was put in cold storage. Even after a new government was formed, there is no mention of this project. When the tribals ask the authorities, they said they do not have any information about the project. Though they ran from one office to another with the sanction letter, they are not getting proper response. Now, the residents believe that they were once again deceived by the government and the elected representatives.
They boycotted election
When the Assembly elections were declared, the Banjaru Male residents had decided to boycott the elections. They had announced that they would not vote in the election. At this time, Election Commission officers and district officials had visited the colony and tried to convince them by showing the government order and information on funds. They had given the official order copy of the government. Unfortunately, the same officials who had shown the order copies, are now trying to mislead the people.
But district coordinator Hemalatha said that she does not have any information on Rs 2 crore released for concrete road in the colony of Banjaru Male tribals. She did not get any order for this. Earlier, Rs 1 crore fund was released to the colony and the work was also done, she said.
Tribal Rights Coordination Committee leader Shekhar Laila said that the successive governments have been cheating the Malekudiya tribals who were the residents of the colony for years. They were not given minimum basic facilities. Officials used to visit the colony and give promises. The funds released by the government will not go anywhere. If the work is not being taken up, the authorities should take action against the officer responsible for it, he said.
Banjaru Male resident Nagesh said that no one has objected to take up road works and provide electrification. The Yenepoya Estate authorities have given their permission to lay the road in their area. But the government has been cheating the people. Three months ago, officials came to their colony and said that the funds were available for the works and now, they were telling that they do not have funds. The authorities should take steps to take up the works with the funds released already, he demanded.
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India rejects China's 'preposterous' attempts to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh
New Delhi (PTI): India on Wednesday outrightly rejected China's attempts to rename some places in Arunachal Pradesh, saying such "preposterous" attempts will not alter the "undeniable" reality that the state "was, is, and will" always remain an integral part of India.
New Delhi's reaction came in response to Beijing announcing Chinese names for some places in Arunachal Pradesh, which the neighbouring country claims as the southern part of Tibet.
"We have noticed that China has persisted with its vain and preposterous attempts to name places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
"Consistent with our principled position, we reject such attempts categorically," he said.
Jaiswal was responding to a media query on the issue.
"Creative naming will not alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India," he said.
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