The Kerala State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has called upon the government to control the working of organisations, particularly non-governmental organisations (NGOs), among the tribespeople in the State.
Commission member S. Ajayakumar said at Ottapalam near here on Sunday that NGOs should be restrained if exploitation of tribal sectors had to be stopped. He demanded a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the NGOs that function in the tribal belts with government funding.
He alleged that several NGOs were engaged in fraudulent work. “We are going to request the State and the Central governments for an investigation,” he said.
The Commission has registered a case against the High Range Development Society (HRDS), an NGO working among the tribespeople of Attappady. Mr. Ajaykumar said the case was registered on the basis of complaints raised by some tribespeople.
The HRDS was earlier in news when Swapna Suresh, one of the accused in the gold smuggling case using diplomatic channels, joined the organisation as a director. Ms. Swapna’s appointment had raised suspicions about the NGO’s functioning and objectives.
Mr. Ajaykumar said the case against HRDS was in connection with a complaint about construction of unlivable houses for tribespeople and allegations of land grab.
The commission has sought a report from District Collector Mrunmai Joshi about the land grab allegation. He said the action against HRDS had nothing to do with the appointment of Ms. Swapna Suresh.
